Targetting the Worst Forms of Child Labour; combating child labour and economic exploitation among adolescents in the sericulture industry in Karnataka

Background

Karnataka is one of India's largest States. As per the 2001 census, there were 822,615 child labourers in Karnataka. It is estimated that about 2.5 million children in the age group of 6 to 14 are out of school. Additionally, drop-out rates area a matter of concern. Contributory factors are high under-employment and resulting poverty, migration of families seeking a livelihood to urban areas, inadequate educational facilities and a general lack of interest of largely uneducated and illiterate parents in education. Certain industries and locations depend heavily on child labour and adolescents. One such industry and location is the sericulture, a labour-intensive agro-based industry. Children are employed in all stages of the silk processing, making the sericulture industry a child-prone sector. The preference for children to work in the sericulture industry is because of the narrow space, the low height of machineries, long hours of work and the fact that children employed in these units are paid below the minimum wages. Most of the children come from very poor families who are landless and who have virtually no access to any kind of assets.

Objectives

To contribute to the Government of India's efforts to combat the worst forms of child labour and reduce the vulnerability of adolescents to economic exploitation through an integrated package of technical assistance in the areas of education, training and income generation and upgrading of local industries.

Strategy

Working with stakeholders, to mobilize and strengthen the capacity of agencies in the private and public sphere working with child labour and adolescents by introducing/reinforcing a multi-sect oral package of services. These services will be geared at prevention through awareness raising and improved access to education, withdrawal of children from work and providing alternatives and opportunities for upward mobility to adolescents and families through vocational training, additional income activities and improved working conditions to demonstrate viable strategies. Activities designed to support the project at the State policy and programme level would be included in the project for effective implementation.

Further reading

• Karnataka Child Labour Project : an overview- (pdf, 8.70 mb)
• Best Practices in Managing Child Labour Educational Bridge Centres: A Hand Book - (pdf, 3.94 mb)