Go for integrated and comprehensive approach of universal social protection to end child labour: UN

In 2022, the World Day Against Child Labour is being observed with the theme "Universal Social Protection to End Child Labour" and with a call to 'increase investment in social protection systems and schemes to establish solid social protection floors and protect children from child labour' and go for

According to the UN, still 160 million children are engaged in child labour and some as young as 5 years of age.

"Government social protection systems are essential to fight poverty and vulnerability, and eradicate and prevent child labour. Social protection is both a human right and a potent policy tool to prevent families from resorting to child labour in times of crisis. However, as of 2020 and before the COVID-19 crisis took hold, only 46.9 per cent of the global population were effectively covered by at least one social protection benefit while the remaining 53.1 per cent – as many as 4.1 billion people – were left wholly unprotected. Coverage for children is even lower. Nearly three quarters of children, 1.5 billion, lacked social protection," stated the UN

In an earlier article, I had writing that during COVID epidemic spread, the measures to protect children from child labour was now more than ever.

"The COVID-19 health pandemic and the resulting economic and labour market shock are having a huge impact on people’s lives and livelihoods. Unfortunately, children are often the first to suffer. The crisis can push millions of vulnerable children into child labour. Already, there are an estimated 152 million children in child labour, 72 million of which are in hazardous work. These children are now at even greater risk of facing circumstances that are even more difficult and working longer hours," informs the UN website.

It has been brought to public knowledge that children around the world are routinely engaged in paid and unpaid forms of work that are not harmful to them, and detrimental to their health and development. In Asia and the Pacific, of which India is part, about 7% of all children are in child labour.

Many NGOs and activists deem that every child out-of-school is potentially a child labour. According a study, in the current scenario of schools being closed due to COVID-19 pandemic crisis and hardly any on-line learning in rural areas being in place, child trafficking, abuse and labour is on the rise in rural areas of the country.