Child labor is one of the most evolving issues that is found among several developing nations, such as Asian countries. It is an act that deprives the children of their childhood and also obstructs their ability to join regular school. It can be very harmful to the children regarding their mental, physical, moral and social states. Several leading international organizations are running campaigns to stop child labour. The main issues in developing countries are population and lack of resources due to reduced employment opportunities. It has been perceived over the past few years that poverty is the primary cause that forces poor people to send their children to work.
Child employment can have numerous unadorned implications on the lives of children and their families. In addition to that, these children suffer from multiple hardships which might cause permanent harm to their childhood. To respond to the research question, data is gathered from the literature material investigated from educational books, courses, newscasts, and study reports on child employment, deficiency education and community health of child labour. The research highlights the ethical issues related to the hiring of underage children by multinational companies in developing countries.
Discussion
Developing countries have a greater ratio of child labour due to the focus on multinational companies. These countries provide them with cheap labour and easy access to raw materials, which is the main reason that most of the companies have shifted their production units to these countries. Almost every third child in India is the victim of child labour. It is due to the lack of government and law enforcement authorities’ involvement in policy making and its enforcement (Bhat & Rather).
During the industrialized revolt, child labour was higher than before, owing to the change of labour activities to foreign countries. Children can be originated in almost every subdivision of the comfortable budget (Malakal & Gangabhushan). The occurrence of employed children in India are involved in dangerous professions such as workshops, industrial diamonds, firecrackers, silk and floorings, cut-glass and blocks (OWOLABI & Elizabeth). Numerous features strengthen children to labour, such as insufficient financial development, scarcity, joblessness, overpopulation and the deficiency of schooling and health caution (Ahmad).
School presence in India in which an enormous total of children among five to fourteen years of age group are not registered in school due to the domestic financial situation. Presence in school or failure varies for males and females, while boys are more expected to deliver economic revenue to the family. While, girls are further complicated in domestic responsibilities (Kakoli, Borkotoky, and Unisa Sayeed).
Extraordinary illiteracy and failure charges are significant in India due to the insufficiency of the learning structure. Even though numerous weak or low-income families don’t understand education as an advantage to humanity, they contemplate that labour progresses abilities that can be recycled to receive revenue (Ahmed). These practices are unethical because these children are the future generation, and they are the ones who will govern and fight for their rights in the International world.
Developing countries like India and other Asian countries have to implement strategies and plans to eliminate child labour. The primary factor that is strengthening the involvement of multinational companies in developing countries is the increased level of corruption. Deficiency and poor education are some of the main reasons behind this issue; no magical solution is there. Poverty is the leading cause that forces children out of school into labour, and implementation unaided cannot resolve it. The critical step to reducing child labour is to emancipate children.
Conclusion
The exploitation of child labour has been common for ages because of its lower cost as compared to adult labour in the early industries. It has been long observed even in developed nations such as England, France, Germany and other European countries. Due to reforms and changes in governmental policies, these countries strictly prohibited child labour, which gave rise to the underage hiring of children in developing countries. It is mainly due to weak political systems and a lack of checks and balances. There are some developing countries which are facing child labour. Multinational companies are saving massive amounts due to child labour, and the governing bodies in these countries are unable to control them and also limit their power within their boundaries. There should be a strict policy to stop the involvement of multinational companies in other countries to end up this devastating issue.
