Nepalese children are trafficked each year, most working in household labor. Nearly all parents of trafficked children surveyed had little to no schooling, and all children reported working seven days per week with little attention paid to their health and wellbeing. The most common form of child trafficking in Nepal is labor trafficking, including manual farming labor, and a common practice where children are placed as domestic servants with richer families. Child labor is a harsh reality that is accepted as an inescapable part of childhood. Although Nepalese law sets the working age as no earlier than 16, many children from poor families leave school at an early age to help their family earn money. Nearly half of the population in Nepal lives below the international poverty line of $1.25 per day. Educational expenses for families with multiple school age children, including fees, supplies, and uniforms can easily exceed a family’s monthly income. But above all, time spent in school and not contributing to the family’s income often represents an insurmountable opportunity cost. While most children leave school to assist with the family’s domestic or farm work, some enter into trafficking arrangements. Family members who place their children in trafficking situations usually have no understanding of the conditions under which their child will be forced to work. Many socio-economic factors contribute to the difficult choices these families make, awareness of the rights of children and the definition of trafficking and child exploitation are key steps.
Posted on: Tue, 02 Sep 2014 06:29:06 +0000
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