Brick child labour at Imadole suburb in Kathmandu | |
| Author | Panday, Meena Baidya |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.GD-07-19 |
| Subject(s) | Child labor--Nepal--Kathmandu Children's rights--Nepal--Kathmandu |
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Gender and Development Studies, School of Environment, Resources and Development |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Series Statement | Thesis ; no. GD-07-19 |
| Abstract | This thesis is concerned with the emerging discourse on Child Rights that promotes children in the light of rights-holders and developmental vulnerability. It studies the causal factors in brick child labour at four brick kilns in a suburb called Imadole in Kathmandu. Child labour in Nepal has had historical social acceptance under socialisation patterns based on gender inequality and patriarchy. However, since 1987 the Child Rights movement led to child labour becoming a national agenda issue. It is estimated that there are 2.6 million child workers in the Nepal in more than 80 sectors. Child work at brick kilns has already been classified as a WFCL according to the ILO Convention 182 which the Government of Nepal has ratified to in January 2002. The objective of this research was to find out on the situation of the brick worker children in terms of their daily regimen, health and educational opportunities and awareness on their rights, their resilience and exercise of agency with participation in the community. The goal was to discern the attitudes to the livelihood imperatives that induced parents to engage their children's labour. The overall objective was to discern the causes of brick child labour and its impacts on Child Rights deprivations. The methodology used was the semi-structured interviews using four thematically linked Questionnaires on a purposively selected population of 40 children, 36 parents, 4 employers and 6 key informants. Among the variables identified is that of 97% of the parents stating that the children's labour contribution to the family livelihood strategy was meaningful. It was found that almost 86% of the children's pay was used for basic family consumption. A most significant finding is that almost 78% of the child workers have access to schooling. This paradoxical finding is connected to another paradox that the brick child labour is a form of bonded labour which has been declared illegal since July 2000. This thesis concludes with the inference that without the family being given additional supports for their livelihoods and empowerment, the home and family become the first site of exploitation for children in poverty. In 83% of cases it is found that the children are brought by a family member for employment. The recommendation is that the reality of the `brick working children' has to be accepted in the present context but legal enforcement must regulate the hazards in unrestricted work hours, work tasks and timings, and the presently found perception change in the parents pro education for their children must be reinforced in ways that support the learning and empowerment of the parents themselves. It is found that there is 72% illiteracy among the parents with the literacy differential among fathers and mothers being 28% and 44% respectively. A review of the situation on child labour calls for the State to initiate integrated social policy driven poverty alleviation initiatives and upgraded quality of education as instrumental preventive strategies out of child labour including brick child labour. This national vision and mission is included in the Tenth Plan (2002-2007) which coordinates with the National Master Plan on Child Labour 2004-2014 and targets to eliminate the WFCL by 2009 and to eliminate all forms of child labour in Nepal by 2014. These initiatives align with the global agendas of Education for All (EFA, 2015) and especially the first three Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). However, at the present time the only viable recourse for the mainly marginalized populations who come to the Imadole kilns is to do the 'no choice labour' which is found to have both positive and negative impacts on the brick child workers |
| Year | 2007 |
| Corresponding Series Added Entry | Asian Institute of Technology. Thesis ; no. GD-07-19 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) |
| Department | Department of Development and Sustainability (DDS) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Gender and Development Studies (GD) |
| Chairperson(s) | Resurreccion, Bernadette; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Doneys, Philippe;Sajor, Edsel; |
| Degree | Thesis (M.Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2007 |