The Andhra Pradesh State Based Project for the Elimination of Child Labour
(Phase II)
| Time-frame |
Donor(s) |
Duration: 4 years
Estimated starting date: Beginning of 2005 |
Government of Andhra Pradesh
DFID-India |
Introduction
The Andhra Pradesh State Based Project (APSBP) for the Elimination
of Child Labour was framed in 1999 out of a collaboration between
the Government of India, the Government of Andhra Pradesh, the Department
for International Development (DFID), and the ILO. The first phase
of the Project was implemented from November 2000 to March 2004.
A second phase is planned with the aim of consolidating the gains of the first phase, ensuring that the
process, which has yielded significant results, is seen through to a sustainable and systemic approach
to build state-wide capacity for eliminating child labour.
Strategy of intervention (Phase I)
In Phase I, the Project strategy was to work at the macro, meso, and micro levels in the state to create
a multilayered impact on child labour.
At the macro level, the project fed in the experiences emerging from various initiatives into enriching
government policies, programmes and other efforts. The Project engaged in an active collaboration with
the government in contributing to realizing the state's vision of ending child labour in a time-bound
manner.
At the meso level, the Project worked with employers' and workers' organizations who were favourably
positioned to engage with a multiplicity of stakeholders in combating child labour. Similarly, partners and
groups within civil society who could contribute to the formulation of policies and programmes were
identified and their understanding of child labour, its consequences, and fall-outs was enhanced.
The third level of the strategy is at the field or grass-roots micro level. The Project developed and
implemented replicable pilot interventions in four pilot areas in the state. These interventions formed an
important experiential input for contributing to government policy development at the macro level and
in influencing the influencers at the meso level.
Achievements of phase I
Key achievements to date
- Working with the Government on child labour policies
and programmes:
Through partnerships with the relevant departments within the
Government of Andhra Pradesh (mainly the Education and Labour
Departments), various initiatives were framed around a coherent
policy framework. Based on tested pilot models and learning, innovations
were introduced in various areas such as law enforcement, education,
pre-school education, and rehabilitation issues. The state level
project steering committee has been an important vehicle for evolving
the innovative strategies implemented and for mainstreaming the
tested approaches within wider state level interventions.
- Federating trade unions on child labour:
One innovative approaches developed was the federating of six
trade unions in Andhra Pradesh towork together as one common body
to eliminate child labour in the state. Six unions came together
in the form of a federation called the Informed Work Force. The
unions have already sensitized over 50,000 of their grass-roots
workers (agriculture labourers, bidi workers, workers in hotels
and restaurants) on child labour.
- Bringing employers together as a consortium:
An equally important innovative approach has been the building
up of a consortium of 24 employers' associations in the state
to work together on the elimination of child labour. The consortium,
aptly called CEASE Child Labour (Consortium of Employers Associations
for the Elimination of Child Labour), which includes state level
associations of national level employers' organizations such as,
FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry),
EFI (Employers' Federation of India) and associations of employers
in which child labour is actually present (the bidi manufacturers'
associations, automobile technicians' associations, leather manufacturers'
associations, etc.) represents more than four-fifths of the trade
and industry of the state. The consortium has been registered
as a society and has become an active association of employers,
which raises awareness about child labour among its members and
other affiliated bodies. The consortium has been also facilitating
the development of common approaches and codes of conduct for
employers' associations in eliminating child labour.
- Mobilizing civil society organizations (CSOs) on child labour:
Another innovative and sustainable strategy that the project has
adopted is getting civil society organizations to form a network
across the state in combating child labour. This network consists
of associations of lawyers, engineers, doctors, social clubs like
Rotary and Lions, religious leaders, women's groups, non-government
and other civil society organizations, all of whom try to raise
awareness about child labour in their day to day work. This network
is now actively working in 450 blocks (mandals) in 21 districts
of the state and has now begun reaching out to villages, with
over 1,200 villages already covered. The network, which includes
more than 1,400 organizations closely works with the district
and local administrations, bringing in convergence with the Government's
efforts in eliminating child labour.
- Impact of the project on the child labour situation in Andhra
Pradesh:
The Project has been able to put child labour firmly on the agenda
of the state and make it an issue of concern among various stakeholders.
The impact of the project is perceptible in the attitude and results
of the work of workers' and employers' organizations in Andhra
Pradesh. The Project has been able to influence the perception
and capacities of the workers' organizations towards the elimination
of child labour, and at the same time change the image of the
employers in the state, who have now become an ally of the Government
and NGOs in eliminating child labour.
Before the commencement of this initiative, the elimination of
child labour was mainly the localized effort of a limited number
of NGOs in a few districts of the state. Today, a network of stakeholders
across all districts of the state, keenly concerned and capacitated
to work on child labour, has been created and is actively involved
in advocacy and operational activities. As a result of the project's
impact, child labour is now a state-wide issue, taken up not only
by NGOs, but also by various government departments, employers'
and workers' organizations, as well as by many different partners
of civil society. The project has been also successful in attracting
the continuous attention of the local media.
A significant impact of the Project has been the progressive elimination
of child labour in the pilot areas where the micro level strategy
has been implemented. Similarly, in Markapur, where the integrated
area specific approach has been carried out, the impact of various
initiatives can be seen in the significant decrease in the number
of children working in slate mines and slate factories.
The impact of the Project can also be seen in the significant
numbers (about 75,000) of children to whom education services
have been provided through efforts by trade unions, employers'
associations and civil society organizations.
The school enrolment drives launched by the State Government during
August 2002 and November 2003, which resulted in (according to
government figures) over two million children being enrolled into
schools is another indirect impact of this work.
The strategy for the second phase of the project has been developed based upon the achievements
and learning of Phase I. The second phase will internalize the micro level strategy of Phase I, which
will be implemented with the collaboration of the National Child Labour Project Society in four districts.
The second phase will also develop a strategy for eliminating urban child labour, which will be
implemented in Hyderabad city. It will also scale up the child centred skills development strategy for
adolescent children developed in Phase I. Finally, it will build and sustain the work, which has been
already done in the first phase by employers' and workers' organizations and strengthen civil society efforts against child labour. Mainstreaming gender into all the above activities and across the project
partners will be a key focus of the proposed new phase.
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