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Probing the child labour issue

5 September 2008

She strolls about the milk booth area, oblivious to the baby strapped on her back. The baby has been her constant companion for almost a year now. Indeed, although a child herself, she is the baby’s keeper.

Pem Tshomo, from Trongsa, is employed as a baby sitter for her aunt’s brother, a job that blurs all existing rules about child labour as it is almost natural in Bhutan for baby sitters to be in their pre-teens.

Pem Tshomo is one amongst the one-quarter of Bhutanese children aged 10-14 who, in strict legal terms, are engaged in child labor. Yesterday, at the handing-over ceremony of the National Commission for Women and Children, Chairpersons from the Education Minister Lyonpo Thakur S Powdyel, to Dasho Dr Gado Tshering made the issue of child labour conspicuous on the agenda. According to the NCWC, a survey on domestic child labour will be done this month.

Dr Rinchen Chophel, Executive Director of the NCWC, said that the fact that children and youth were in the job market to supplement their family income could not be ignored.

“Child labour is a major concern and by just flaring the issue we cannot dislodge a child. We will have to initiate a mechanism for them and find ways and means to go about it,” he said.

A child who was working but at the same time having access to his or her fundamental rights like access to learning, basic health care, basic nutrition and education, amongst others, would be acceptable but not otherwise, he said.

Dasho Gado Tshering pointed out that one important area would be the support from other stakeholders like NGOs and schools.

The involvement of parliamentarians was also vital in addressing the issue, he said. Dasho Gado Tshering said that with a capable person like Lyonpo Thakur Singh Powdyel leading the commission, he hoped these issues would be strengthened.

“We as a country are doing quite well in terms of the welfare of our children. However, in a country where we pursue GNH, even one instance of a child being neglected or a woman battered or a person discriminated is bad enough to prick our consciousness,” said Lyonpo Thakur Singh Powdyel.

By Tashi Wangmo

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Posted by Bhutan Observer · Filed Under About Town, News 

Comments

2 Responses to “Probing the child labour issue”

  1. phuntsho on September 5th, 2008 3:18 pm

    child labour is wrong and unlawful. but how can we stop it?

    1. as a law enforcement body, if you interfere it, you risk taking away the livelihood of that particular child because it is by committing himself to child labour that he/she is earning his livelihood.

    2. if you don’t interfere, you are a clown. because you have made that law. however good intentioned it is, you will find it difficult to implement in the face of situations as above.

    3. in a country like australia, education is compulsory. in our country, education is free but not compulsory. not all parents can afford to send their children to school even if education is free.

    4. we need more support of NGOs and other welfare groups to uplift the conditions of our children.

  2. karma c on September 11th, 2008 10:51 am

    child labor should be removed from top beuaroctarts house first whio deploy non nationals in pretext of under age for ID card

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