Millions of children worldwide face a bleak future, devoid of educational opportunities, as they are compelled to abandon their schooling to join the workforce. It is imperative that relevant authorities step in to provide these children with a smoother life path and alleviate the challenges they face in pursuing an education.
Children hailing from impoverished families bear the brunt of inflation, soaring living expenses, and the lingering aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. Regrettably, some children are forced to join the labour force prematurely, and tragically, a subset of them falls victim to sexual exploitation by unscrupulous individuals. Authorities take stringent action against offenders to relieve the burdens these children face in the workplace.
Presently, children across the globe grapple with a myriad of challenges, including economic instability, political turmoil, poverty, various forms of conflict, and natural disasters. These root causes often drive children to enter the workforce prematurely, robbing them of their potential futures.
According to data compiled by the United States, approximately 160 children were forced into child labour in early 2020. Shockingly, this marked the first time in two decades that such practices had derailed child development initiatives.
The world is currently grappling with numerous challenges that affect children on multiple fronts. The Covid-19 pandemic disrupted the education of over 2.5 billion students worldwide. Additionally, armed conflicts, fueled by various underlying causes, pose significant barriers to children’s access to education. The spectre of children prematurely entering the workforce looms as a dire threat to their hopes and dreams.
Child labour is a global issue, and it is a problem that affects children in Myanmar as well. The annual labour population census in 2018 revealed that Myanmar had a child population of 12.4 million, aged between 5 and 17. Shockingly, 600,000 of these children were already toiling away in workplaces, with 420,000 trapped in the cycle of child labour. Furthermore, a harrowing 400,000 child labourers were subjected to hazardous work conditions. Alarmingly, more than 30 per cent of the 12.4 million children were rural child labourers, while 20 per cent were found in urban areas.
Society undergoes a shift in mindset to prevent the heinous act of forcing children into child labour. If adults extend their empathy towards children, nations can significantly reduce child labour offences, ultimately creating an environment conducive to the education and growth of future generations. By doing so, everybody should help children break free from the shackles of child labour and embrace the learning opportunities that await them.
