KAPE Study on Child Labor

7/28/2019 KAPE Study on Child Labor

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Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices and

Expectations (KAPE) Study on Child Labor

in Bangladesh


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Table of Contents

1.0 TABLE OF CONTENT...2

2. 0 ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................................ 4

3.0 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: ............................................................................................................ 5

4.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................... 5

5.0 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................... 8

5.1 Background & Rationale of the Study ................................................................................... 8

5.2 Objectives of the Study ......................................................................................................... 9

6.0 METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY .............................................................................................. 10

6.1 Study Approach ................................................................................................................... 10

6.2 Respondent groups of the Study......................................................................................... 11

6.3 Sample Size covered ............................................................................................................ 11

7.0 CONCEPTUAL REFERENCES FOR THE STUDY .......................................................................... 13

7.1 Child Labor .......................................................................................................................... 13

7.2 Working children ................................................................................................................. 14

7.3 Out-of-school children ........................................................................................................ 15

7.4 Definitions of knowledge, attitude and practice ................................................................ 15

8.0 STRUCTURE OF THE REPORT ................................................................................................... 18

9.0 DEMOGRAPHIC AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE OF RESPONDENTS .................................... 199.1 Child laborers ...................................................................................................................... 19

9.2 Non-child laborers ............................................................................................................... 19

9.3 Employers of child laborers ................................................................................................. 19

9.4 Caretakers ........................................................................................................................... 20

10.0 KNOWLEDGE REGARDING CHILD RIGHTS, EDUCATION, CHILD LABOR AND CHILD ABUSE .. 21

10.1 Awareness regarding the definition of a Child:................................................................. 21

10.2 Awareness about the minimum age of employment in Bangladesh: ............................... 22

10.3 Awareness about primary education being compulsory and free for all children aged 5-14

years in Bangladesh................................................................................................................... 26

10.4 Awareness about child labor and relevant activities that constitute child labor ........... 28

10.5 Awareness about different rules and legislations pertaining to employing children ....... 32

10.6 Awareness about the impact of child labor on children ................................................... 35

10.7 Awareness about the importance of school and education in childrens life .................. 38


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10.8 Employers awareness about Child Labor and the Rules/Legislations pertaining to

eliminating Child Labor ............................................................................................................. 40

10.9 Employers awareness about the types of industries/activities that employ children aged

less than 14 years in risky/hazardous form of work ................................................................. 41

11.0 ATTITUDE TOWARDS CHILD RIGHTS, EDUCATION CHILD LABOR .......................................... 43

11.1 Perception on the importance of education in childrens life .......................................... 43

11.2 Reasons why children work .............................................................................................. 46

11.3 Acceptable hours of working for children ......................................................................... 48

11.4 Perception regarding schools and educational facilities in the community ..................... 49

11.5 Attitude towards children being involved in laborious task at a young age ..................... 50

11.6 Attitude towards the health repercussions of children involved in child labor ............... 52

11.7 Attitude towards receiving free education facilities for children ..................................... 53

11.8 Acceptance of child labor as a legalized form of labor ..................................................... 55

11.9 Employers attitude towards employment of children..................................................... 56

12.0 PRACTICES PERTAINING EMPLOYMENT OF CHILD LABORERS, EDUCATION AND CHILD

RIGHTS ........................................................................................................................................... 59

12.1 Practices of employers regarding involving children in work ........................................... 59

12.2 Willingness to participate in employment by non-child laborers and willingness to allow

participation of these children by their parents/guardians ...................................................... 60

12.3 Types of work in which child laborers are presently engaged in: ..................................... 60

12.4 Practices of checking work environment before children are sent to work ..................... 63

12.5 Nature of work, work environment, and facilities provided to the child laborers: .......... 64

12.6 Facilities desired by non-child laborers from their employers if they wish to be involved

in work in the future ................................................................................................................. 68

12.7 Facilities provided by caretakers through drop-in centers ............................................... 68

12.8 Practices of caretakers of visiting child laborers working place ...................................... 70

12.9 Practices of parents/guardians in considering alternatives to employment of children in

work .......................................................................................................................................... 71

12.10 Practices of different target segments in dealing with Child Abuse ............................... 73

12.11 Physical problems faced by Child laborers due to working ............................................ 74

13.0 EXPECTATIONS FROM THE SOCIETY REGARDING CHILDREN, THEIR EDUCATION AND

OCCUPATION ................................................................................................................................. 76

13.1 Child laborers and non-child laborers expectations from the society............................. 76

13.2 Expectations of parents of child laborers and non-child laborers, and Care-takers......... 78

13.3 Employers expectations from the society and the government...................................... 84

13.4 Expectation from the government and other authorities with regards to eliminating child

labor from the society ............................................................................................................... 86


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14.0 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION ............................................................................... 90

ANNEXURE 1: DATA TABLE FOR SECTION 9.1 ....................... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.



ANNEXURE 4: DATA TABLE FOR SECTION 10 ........................ ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.





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2. 0 ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

DCIs Data Collection Instruments

FGDs Focus Group Discussions

GoB Government of Bangladesh

IEC Information Education Communication

ILO International Labor Organization

IPEC International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labor

IGAs Income Generating Activities

KAPE Knowledge, Attitude, Practices, Expectations

KII Key Informant Interview

NGO Non-Governmental Organizations

OVCs Orphans and Vulnerable Children

UNICEF United Nations Children's FundBCO Bangladesh Central Office

HCL Hazardous Child Labor

WFCL Worst Forms of Child Labor

HH House Hold

BDT Bangladeshi Taka

UCEP Unprivileged Childrens Educational Program

TV Television

Govt. Government


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3.0 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

The report was produced with participation from many individuals who include children,

parents, teachers, religious leaders, social workers, opinion leaders, employers, caregivers and government officials responded and attended interviews and focus group

discussions. Invaluable guidance and contributions from many individuals both form

inside and outside UNICEF enriched the report.

Thanks to the members of the KAPE Study Follow up Group who include Dr. Nomita

Halder and Dr. Aminul Islam of Empowerment and Protection of Children Project,

Ministry of Women and Children Affairs; Md Omar Faruque and Salma Yeasmin of

Protection of Children at Risk Project, Ministry of Social Welfare; Sharfuddin Khan of

ILO Bangladesh; Abdul Latif of Ministry of Labour and Employment; Mostafizur

Rahman Evan of Aparajayo Bangladesh; and Umme Salma of Dustha Sashtha Kemdra.

Researchers and consultant of MRC-Mode Limited Shifat E Mansuor, Shireen Abedinand Dr. Jamal Uddin really worked hard to accommodate critical comments from theKAPE Study Follow up Group. The field workers of the research agency also worked

behind the screen.

The thought process behind the KAPE Study was generated by Rose-Anne Papavero and

Patricia Portela De Souza of UNICEF. Christino De Agostini, Md. Shafiqul Islam andYuko Osawa put forward comments to enrich the report; while Mohammad Badrul

Hassan of UNICEF steered the whole process starting from the inception to finalization

of the study.


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4.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The KAPE (Knowledge, Attitude, Practice, and Expectations) study has been undertaken

to assess the current knowledge, attitudes, and behavior towards child labor and theexpectations of the target audiences, and develop a baseline to assess the effectiveness

of interventions to be taken and recommend what needs to be done in order to change

the existing social norms in Bangladesh.

The KAPE study has used standard quantitative and qualitative tools and techniques for

data collection. The study initiated with secondary information review on relevant

topics. The field data collection was carried out through One-on-One Interviews, Focus

Group Discussion and Key Informants Interview (KII). Three levels of respondents were

included for the study classified into three stages: primary, secondary and tertiary.

Most of the parents/guardians across both child-laborer and non-laborer groups did not

consider people aged between 15-18 years as children. This implies that children aged

15-18 years are eventually most at risk of being employed in hazardous or risky work,

since they are deemed to be grown-ups by their parents/guardians. Hence, there is a

high misconception about childhood and lack of knowledge on child labor. Awareness

about the laws and legislation regarding compulsory primary education was quite poor

amongst parents/guardians of children who are child-laborers, children who are child-

laborers and employers of child laborers. Only 4% of the parents and guardians are

aware of the laws related to child labor, whilst only 17% of the employers are aware of

the same. Less than 25% of the employers could mention any articles relevant to child

labor, whilst less than 20% were aware about the Child Labor Elimination Policy. Poorawareness level amongst these groups of people can be associated with their practice of

employing children in different activities that fall under the jurisdiction of child-labor.

Although majority of the parents and guardians agree that school is the best place for

children to work, they also believe that education is an expensive undertaking that they

can ill-afford for their children and thus, prefer that their children worked rather than

study. On probing further, it was seen that the parents/guardians would be willing to let

their children study only if they were also involved in money-earning activities.

Moreover, the employers of child laborers were found to have high propensity to hire

children as they found them to be a cheap and submissive form of labor.

Child laborers major portion of earnings is contributed towards family sustenance. Due

to the severity of the financial crisis in their family, the parents/guardians are unable

and often unwilling to provide education to their children. With the regards to the

prohibition on hiring children as labor, it was found that most of the employers were

unaware of it, and a large portion were employing children in hazardous work.

Caretakers were aware regarding the legal rules and regulations and mainly involved in


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providing required facilities (such as accommodation, medical, etc) to the working

children who came to them seeking assistance. Majority of the child-laborers also

expressed that they find the work they do, to be highly tedious and stressful, and as

such wish to quit their jobs (which is an option unavailable to them due to poverty).

With regards to expectations, the parents/guardians stated that they expected financialsupport and assistance from the government to ensure education for their children.

They also mentioned expectations of safer working environments for the child-laborers

from the employers. From their children, parents/guardians expect a more prudent and

honest living. Many of the parents of child laborers expressed their hopes that their

children will not follow them into their line of profession. Childrens expectations from

employers and mainly revolved around an opportunity for free education and better job

facilities. As expected, the employers stated that they would want to be allowed to

continue with their current practices and no legal recourse should be taken against any

employer; they further mentioned that they would expect the government to provide

assistance for ensuring safe working environment for the child laborers.

Findings of this study show that children are expected to work so as to contribute to

family socio-economic welfare and/or for their own benefit. The perception of children

being easy to employ still prevails amongst employers. Respondents placed the role of

government high in enhancing peoples welfare but also acknowledge the important

contribution families can make since children immediately belong to families. Given that

poverty is one of the critical challenges families face in the upbringing of children,

complementary efforts to strengthen the familys socio-economic capacity to be able to

play their roles would yield good results if such efforts are well targeted. Generally,

more effort needs to be put in prevention of entry of children into child labor.


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5.0 INTRODUCTIONThe term child labor is often defined as work that deprives children of their childhood,

their potential, and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mentaldevelopment.

It refers to work that:

is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful to children; and

interferes with their schooling by: depriving them of the opportunity to attend

school; obliging them to leave school prematurely; or requiring them to attempt

to combine school attendance with excessively long and heavy work.

In its most extreme forms, child labor involves children being enslaved, separated from

their families, exposed to serious hazards and illnesses and/or left to fend for

themselves on the streets of large cities often at a very early age. Whether or not

particular forms of work can be called child labor depends on the childs age, the

type and hours of work performed, the conditions under which it is performed and the

objectives pursued by individual countries. The answer varies from country to country,

as well as among sectors within countries. In Bangladesh, according to The Labor Act

2006, the definition of a child and an adolescent is based on age: this law states that

any person who has not yet completed 14 years of age is considered to be a child, and

any person who has completed 14 years of age but has not completed 18 years of age is

considered to be an adolescent.

5.1 Background & Rationale of the Study

Government has prohibited child labor for the children below 14 according to the

Bangladesh Labor Law 2006 and adopted the National Child Labor Elimination Policy

2010 with a view to withdraw children from hazardous and worst form of labor. The

policy is aimed to support families to break the vicious cycle of poverty so that children

remain out of labor; scholarships are available for working children to continue

education; and so on. The recently approved National Education Policy declared

compulsory primary education up to grade VIII.

However, non adherence to the existing legislations and policies and also wide-scaleacceptance of child labor in Bangladesh hampers the realization of the rights of

Bangladesh children. Therefore, this is the right time to launch and continue extensive

campaign(s) against child labor in Bangladesh. Hence, to face the above mentioned

challenge(s) the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, UNICEF and ILO have jointly

started a communication campaign against child labor on June 11, 2010. This campaign

aims at initiating debates on the current practices in Bangladesh. Its main slogan is:


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School is the best place for children to work. The main objectives of the communication

campaign are to raise awareness against child labor amongst the general public;

ensuring fulfillment of childrens basic right to education and migration from child labor

to a safe working environment for children.

However, there is limited study in the country on what people know about child labor,how they feel about it and demonstrate their knowledge and attitudes through their

actions. The KAPE (Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices, and Expectations) study will support

to understand the current knowledge on, attitudes towards, behavior towards child

labor(ers) and the expectations of the target audiences, and provide a base line to

assess the effectiveness of interventions to be undertaken and recommend what needs

to be done in order to change the existing social norms in Bangladesh. Furthermore, as

this KAPE study on child labor is the first of its kind with nationally representative

samples in Bangladesh, this will create baseline knowledge, attitude, and practice on

child labor and help programmers to design, implement, and evaluate initiatives

designed to eliminate child labor.

5.2 Objectives of the Study

The main objective of the study is to understand the knowledge, attitude and practice

with respect to child labor issues amongst Bangladesh society and the expectations that

the target audiences have with regards to child rights and child labor.

The Specific Objectives is outlined as follows:

i) Assess levels of knowledge of different respondents on child labor in Bangladesh;

ii) Assess and evaluate peoples attitudes or feelings towards child labor, as well as

perceptions they harbor on the issue;

iii) Observe/Gauge, evaluate and assess the ways in which the various respondents

demonstrate their knowledge, attitudes and perceptions through their actions

and behavior;

iv) Assess expectations of respondent groups with regards to assistance from the

government and other organizations for themselves and the children;

v) Attempt to understand the main causes of children being involved in child labor,

and/or why they are out of school;

vi) Identify and highlight the factors contributing to levels of knowledge andattitudes and practices for both positive and negative indicators;

vii) Develop an understanding with respect to the expectations of respondent

groups on the issues of child labor and out-of-school children

viii) Gauge and analyze respondents recommendations for alternatives to child

labor.


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6.0 METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY

6.1 Study Approach

The KAPE study has used standard quantitative and qualitative tools and techniques for

data collection. Following is a brief discussion on the type of tools used for collecting the

information.

a) Secondary information review: Broadly speaking, the KAPE study commenced

with a literature review. All relevant program documents and available

documents on child labor as well as child right issues were studied, so as to have

an increased understanding of the subject matter.

b)

One-on-One Interviews:The major informational requirements of the study- i.e.a comprehensive understanding on the KAPE of target groups- has been fulfilled

by a quantitative survey that has been carried out with samples selected from

the target population in the intervention and control areas. Thus, standard semi-

structured questionnaires have been used for the one-to-one surveys, which

have been used to collect quantitative information regarding the KAPE of the

target primary respondent groups. The one-on-one interviews have been

conducted with child laborers and their parents/guardians; children (non-child

laborers) and their parents/guardians; care-givers; and employers of child

laborers.

c)

Focus Group Discussion: For collecting qualitative information to complement

our quantitative survey findings as well as better visualize the hows and whys

behind those findings, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) has been used for the

secondary respondent group. i.e., Community influential, civil society, media,

NGOs, private sector, local government, formal and informal employers (who do

not employ child laborers) and trade union activists;

d) Key Informants Interview (KII): KII is an in-depth interview directed towards

individuals considered to have the most essential information relevant to the

subject matter in hand. For this study, the tertiary respondent group has been

administered with the KIIs, i.e., representatives from the Government, different

organizations that are working with Child Rights issues, NGOs, academics etc.

The KAPE study focused on accessing information from various types and categories of

respondents, who have been arranged in a categorical manner on the basis of

importance of behaviors (with respect to child labor and rights) which are the primary

focus of the programme. As such we have three levels of respondents, viz., primary,

secondary and tertiary.


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6.2 Respondent groups of the Study

The Primary Respondent Group is composed of persons whose behaviors are the

primary focus of programme and this includes (i) Children/Adolescents who are Child

Laborers; (ii) Parents/Guardians of children/adolescents who are child laborers; (iii)

Children/Adolescents who are not child laborers; (iv) Parents/guardians of children/adolescents who are not child laborers; (v) Institutional care-takers/NGOs who provide

welfare services to child laborers (Drop-in Centers/Open-air schools etc); and (vi)

Employers of child laborers.

The Secondary Respondent Group consists of people who come from the cultural and

social environment of the primary respondents and whose behavior or actions strongly

influence the primary respondent's behavior. These individuals are members from

NGOs, formal and informal employers (who do not employ child laborers), trade union

activists, and religious/opinion leaders etc.

The Tertiary Respondent Group implies those individuals/bodies whose actions

indirectly help or hinder the behaviors of the other respondents and this includes theGovernment (Ministries), Members of Parliament, Ward Councilors and also Academics

(University Professors, Scholars etc who work in the relevant areas).

6.3 Sample Size covered

A total of 3959 sample was covered for the quantitative survey which used Semi-

structured questionnaires as the main tool of data collection. The distribution of the

sample across the geographical areas covered is shown in Table: 8.7.1 below.

Table 8.7.1: Sample Size and Distribution per segment and geographical areaSegment Dhaka

City

Corp.

Chittagong

City Corp.

Bandarban Khulna Barisal City

Corp.

Barisal Chandpur

(Control

area)

Total

Child Laborers 114 177 60 118 180 61 118 828

Parents/guardians

of Child Laborers

114 177 60 118 180 61 118 828

Non-child

laborers

129 173 66 120 175 61 117 841

Parents/guardians

of non-child

laborers

129 173 66 120 175 61 117 841

Care-takers 5 10 0 5 10 5 35

Employers of

child laborers

84 103 63 84 100 66 86 586

Grand Total 3959


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Apart from the above, 15 key informants interview with respondents from the tertiary

group and 9 focus group discussions with respondents from the secondary respondent

group has been conducted.


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7.0 CONCEPTUAL REFERENCES FOR THE STUDY

7.1 Child Labor

Child labor is defined in Bangladesh as1:

Age 5-11: any work

Age 12-14: any hazardous work or worst forms of child labor, or work for more than

14 hours a week.

Age 15-17: All children in hazardous work and any other worst forms of child labor,

including excessive working hours.

There are two other relevant definitions for hazardous and worst forms of child labor2:

I. Hazardous Child Labor or HCL- Includes any activity or occupation undertaken

by a child between 5-17 that has, or leads to, adverse affects on the childs

safety, health (physical or mental) and moral development. Hazards can also be a

result of excessive workload; physical conditions of work and/or work intensity

in terms of the duration of hours of work even where the activity is known to be

non-hazardous.

II. Worst Forms of Child Labor or WFCL As defined in the ILO Worst Forms of

Child Labor Convention (No. 182) includes activities undertaken by children aged

5-17 and is comprised of two different strands of work: conditional and

unconditional WFCL:

Conditional WFCL - when children aged 5-17 work for more than

43 hours per week or in specified hazardous conditions. This is often

referred to as hazardous child labor.

Unconditional WFCL - when children aged 5-17 are engaged in the

following activities:

1

Sources: International Labor Organization (ILO), Convention concerning minimum age for admission toemployment(C138), 1976; ILO, Convention concerning the worst forms of child labor(C182), 1999; ILOand BBS,Baseline Survey for Determining Hazardous Child Labor Sectors in Bangladesh, 2005.

2Source of definition: Child Labor and Education in Bangladesh: Evidence and Policy Recommendations ,

Joint study by UNICEF, ILO and UNESCO, 2008; and Report on National Child Labor Survey 2002-2003,

Bangladesh Bureau Statistics, December 2003.


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- all forms of slavery or practice similar to slavery such as sale and

trafficking of children, debt bondage or serfdom and forced or

compulsory labor, including forced or compulsory recruitment of

children for use in armed conflict and other illicit activities

-

procuring or offering a child for prostitution, for the production ofpornography or offering a child for pornographic performance

- procuring or offering of a child for illicit activities, particularly for

the production and trafficking of drugs as defined in relevant

international treaties.

7.2 Working children

Globally accepted standards on working children in relation to their age and the

conditions of work are presented in Table 8.1 below:

In reference to the above table there are two categories of working children in non-

hazardous nature of work. All children involved in worst forms of labor are considered

as child labor.

- Children within 12-17 years may involve in light work less than 14 hours a week

- Children between 15-17 years may involve in regular work which will be less

than 43 hours a week.3

3Source: Child Labor and Education in Bangladesh: Evidence and Policy Recommendations, Joint study

by UNICEF, ILO and UNESCO, 2008


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7.3 Out-of-school children

Children aged 6-14 years who are not attending school are considered as out-of-school

children.

In Bangladesh According to the Compulsory Primary Education Act 1990, enrolment is

compulsory at the age of 6. According to the recently approved education policy,

primary education is compulsory up to grade VIII, which is until the age of 14.

7.4 Definitions of knowledge, attitude and practice

In this study Knowledge is possessed by respondents (children/adolescents who are

child laborers, parents/guardians of the children, institutional care-takers/NGOs etc.)

refer to their understanding of that topic.

Attitude refers to their feelings toward this subject, as well as any preconceived ideas

they may have towards it.

Practice means the application of rules and knowledge that leads to action i.e it refers

to the ways in which the respondents demonstrate their knowledge and attitudes

through their actions.

The triad of knowledge, attitude, and practice in combination governs all aspects of life

in human societies, and all three pillars together make up the dynamic system of life

itself.

The indicators that have been used pertaining to Knowledge, Attitude, Practices and

Expectations are as follows:

i. Knowledge:

Legal/policy related:

1. % of population knowledgeable on the minimum age of employment in

Bangladesh according to the local laws/policies.

2. % of population knowledgeable on the fact that primary education is free and

compulsory for all children according to the Bangladesh law and policy.

3. % of population knowledgeable on preconditions for employment of children

above the age of 14

Child development related

1. % of population knows the definition of child as every human being below the

age of 18.

2. % of population is aware of the importance of education (school) in terms of

childs physical, psychological, cognitive and social development


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3. % of population is aware about the impact of child labor in their physical,

cognitive and social development

Social protection related

1. % of the population aware of the places/institutions where they can seeksupport/guidance on child labor issues.

2. % of population who know what to do to denounce violations of child rights

(child labor, exploitation, abuse) in Bangladesh.

3. % of population aware of that child labor is an impediment to poverty alleviation

of the country

ii. Attitude:

Legal/policy related

1. % of population considers that it is not necessary to ensure safe working

environment for the working children

2. % of employers (formal and informal) who consider essential to provide a safe

working environment for working children above

3. % of population expects that national laws/policy should allow child labor in

Bangladesh.


1. % of population who consider education is important for the children's

development but send their children to work and not to school.2. % of population who consider education is important for the children's

development but send their children to work and to school.

3. % of population thinks that childs development will not hamper due to child

labor


1. % of population did ever felt that they should react (discuss) or protest against

child labor in any form to any authority (parents, employers or administrative or

legal authority)2. % of the population who expects that poor families should send their children to

work

3. % of employers (formal and informal) considering that their profit margin will be

decreased if there is no child labor


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iii. Practice

Legal/policy related

1. % of families with different earning groups (Please use concept of per capita

poverty or consumption category) who send their children below the age of 14to work

2. % of families with different earning groups (Please use concept of per capita

poverty or consumption category) who sends their children above the age of 14

to work considering the working environment and scope for education and skills

development

3. % of employers (formal and informal) who do not employ children below the age

of 14


1. % of families considers the working environment before sending the child to

work

2. % of families considers scope for education and skill development before

sending the child to work

3. % of employers (formal and informal) who ensure a safe working environment

(as defined), education and scope of skills development for the working children


1. % of families supports domestic workers to go to schools

2. % of population did ever complain to any authorities on issues of child labor inBangladesh

3. % of population expects that authorities (family, employer, administrative or

legal authorities) should take measures against child labor

iv. Expectations

1. Expectations of parents/guardians from govt. and other policy making

organizations about their childrens education

2. Expectations of parents/ guardians from employers regarding providing fairfacilities and services and safe working environment

3. Expectation of parents/guardians from their children

4. Expectations of employers of child laborers from the govt. and other policy

makers about creating a safe working environment


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8.0 STRUCTURE OF THE REPORT

The report is organized in a manner most congruent to the objectives of the study and

presents findings pertaining to knowledge, attitude, practices and expectations under

different headings. Qualitative finding relating to relevant indicators have been

presented along with quantitative data wherever necessary and qualitative verbatimfrom respondents have been presented wherever applicable to provide the reader with

the actual words used by respondents.

Chapter: 9 provides a profiling of the target respondent groups, and delves into

demographics and socio-economic situation of the families of children who are child

laborer, and of children who are not child laborers.

Chapter: 10 provides the findings pertaining to the knowledge and awareness amongst

the target respondents about laws/legislation about Education , Child Labor and Child

rights.

Chapter: 11 provides findings pertaining to the attitude and behavior of target

respondents towards children, child labor and child rights.

Chapter: 12 provides findings pertaining to the practices of the target respondents

associated with exercising child rights, employment of children and child abuse.

Chapter: 13 provides findings pertaining to the expectations of the target respondents

from the govt. and the society regarding receiving assistance/ help with children, child

laborers, and employment.

Chapter: 14 provides a conclusion and recommendation based on the findings from the

previous sections.

Annexure with data tables are presented at the end of the report for reference.


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9.0 DEMOGRAPHIC AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE OF RESPONDENTS

9.1 Child laborers

The average number of members per household was 4.7, and 92% of the households

had a total of 6 or less members. 43% of the HH members were male and 57% were

female at an overall level. Amongst the household members aged 12 years or more,

55% were married and 42% were single or never married.

On an average, 40% of the household members were between ages 5-18 years.

Amongst these 40%, 32% were attending school in the current year. Most of these

children who were attending school were in primary school level, and started education

when they were 5 years old. The different activities that were carried out by thechildren from these households include performing household chores (cited by 23% of

the parents/guardians), working in grocery stores (cited by 10% of the

parents/guardians), working in garment factories (cited by 6% of the parents/guardians)

etc.

Amongst the child laborers interviewed for the study, 17% started working at the age of

12 years, whilst 16% at an age of 10 years. 53% of the parents of these child laborers

had started working before they were 18 years old. The monthly income of these

households was BDT 6555 on average, with monthly average expenditure per HH of BDT

6450. 57% of these household had outstanding loans/debts, mostly from NGOs (Micro-

credit). Details are given in Annex: 1.

9.2 Non-child laborers

The average number of members per household was 4.3 members. 98% of the

households had a total of 6 members or less. 49% of the HH members were male and

51% were female at an overall level. On an average, 39% of the household members

were between ages 5-18 years; and amongst them 97% were attending school in the

current year. Most of these children who were attending school are in primary school

level, and started education when they were 5 years old.

The monthly income of these households was BDT 13,712 on average, with average

monthly expenditure of BDT 11,877. 39% of these households have outstanding

loans/debts, mostly from NGOs (Micro-credit). Details are given in Annex: 2.

9.3 Employers of child laborers


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Mean age of the employers of child laborers was 35.4 years, and 44% of them have

studied between classes 6-10. The nature of their occupation was diverse and included

the following: 73% own businesses with 10 or less employees, 2% were in agriculture,

2% owns hotels, 1% owns Battery recharging units etc.

97% of the businesses/ventures run by these employers had 10 or fewer employees intotal, and 98% of these employers have 5 or fewer employees aged less than 18 years.

Details are given in Annex: 3.

9.4 Caretakers

Care-takers for the study include caregivers (in case of children not having any parents

alive or not staying with family), teachers (open-air schools), and benefactors or drop-in-

center staff (people who are supporting children through providing

accommodation/food/education etc).


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10.0 KNOWLEDGE REGARDING CHILD RIGHTS, EDUCATION, CHILD

LABOR AND CHILD ABUSE

10.1 Awareness regarding the definition of a Child:

When probed as to the age to which an individual can be considered a child, parents of

child laborers stated an average of 12.4 years which is the lowest

when compared to 13.7 years mentioned by the parents of non-

child laborers and 15 years mentioned by the care-takers.

Table 10.1.1: Age till which a human being is considered to be a

childAreas Mean Age (in years)

Parents of

Child

Laborer

Parents of

Non-child

laborers

Care-takers

Urban 12.3 13.6 16.5

Rural 12.5 12.8 13.5

Control 14.5 13.8 14.2

All 12.4 13.7 15

According to the respondents from the tertiary participant group

(the govt. and policy makers), the Bangladesh Constitution defines a

person below the age of 16 as a child4. Children have the right to lead a happy and

healthy life. Every child has the right to receive education, enjoying a safe life, to beprotected from all kinds of discriminations, sexual exploitation etc. Principal of UCEP

stated, A child preserves the right to enjoy all the basic rights just like an adult, there

shouldnt be any discrimination against a child based on age.

Respondents from the secondary participant group consisting of employers (who do not

employ child laborers), religious leaders, NGO personnel, and trade union activists, also

hold perceptions about the definition of a child that are quite similar to the perceptions

held by the parents/guardians and care-takers. The employers from this group define

children as toddlers and also as young children within the age range 1-5 years. NGO

Personnel are quite informed about the actual definitions of child and adolescents as

per the laws of the land. Details are portrayed in Figure: 10.1.1 below.

4 Although the statement provided by the Key Informants mentions Bangladesh Constitution as a reference

point for the definition of child, the correct reference for the definition of a child is The Labor Act, 2006.

Generally, when

children aged 0-16

years give their laborin exchange of some

food and for very little

money, it is called

child labor.Respondent from the

tertiary group


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10.2 Awareness about the minimum age of employment in Bangladesh:

The awareness regarding the minimum age of employment was quite low amongst thechild laborers (15%) and their parents (20%), when compared to non-child laborers

(36%) and their parents (62%). This lack of awareness regarding the laws and legislations

could be one of the reasons why parents are inclined in sending their children to work.

Furthermore, the awareness regarding the above matter was lower amongst the female

respondents from the parent/guardians of child laborers segment (12%) compared to

the male respondents from the same segment (21%). 62% male and 59% female

Definitionof a Child

Employers (who do notemploy children)

Any person aged between 1-5years;

A person with no knowledgeabout the world is a child;

Anyone aged between 0-18years

Religious Leaders

Any person agedless than 18 years;

Any human under12 years of age

Any personbetween 1-7 years;

Babies.

Trade UnionActivists

Ages between 4-13;

Ages between 5-12;

Ages between 5-18years.

NGO Personnel

Human less than14 years of age;

15-18 year olds areadolescents, not

children.

Figure: 10.1.1 Secondary Participant groups view

on definition of a child


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Page 23

20 22

9

21

64

55

40

62

97 100 100 97

14

19

815

34

42

29

3640

37

4439

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Urban Rural Control Total

Parents- Child Laborer

Parents- Non-child

laborers

Care-takers

Child Laborers

Non-child laborers

Employers of Child

Laborers

respondents were found to be aware of the minimum age of employment as dictated by

the legislation of the country.

Figure 10.2.1: Positive awareness regarding the Minimum age of

Employment as per law/legislation in Bangladesh

(Q: Are you aware about the minimum age of employment in Bangladesh according to the laws/ legislation?

Yes/No, Single Code response)

Majority of the employers (61%) were unaware of the minimum age of employment in

the country, which is indicative to why they are prone to employing children in their

workplaces. However, 39% of the employers were aware of the minimum age of

employment, as can be seen from Figure: 10.2.1 above, but they continue to employchildren regardless. The absence of regard for the law, despite being aware of them, is a

matter of grave concern. Such behavior could easily have stemmed from lack of

authoritarian control/ punitive measures that discourage employing children.


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18.2 18.7

16.9

19.1 18.617.8

18.5

21.5

19.8

17.817.3 16.8

17.7

17.4

15.718.1

18.918.2

0

5

10

15

20

25

Urban Rural Control

Parents- Child Laborer

Parents- Non-child laborers

Care-takers

Child Laborers

Non-child laborers

Employers of Child Laborers

Figure 10.2.2: The minimum age of employment as per law/legislation in

Bangladesh as stated by the surveyed respondents

(Q: Please tell us, according to your knowledge, what is the minimum age of employment as per the law/legislation

in the country?Single Code response, open-ended)

Figure: 10.2.2 above shows the minimum age of employment in Bangladesh as stated by

the respondents in the study. It can be readily observed that the stated age range lies

from as low as 15.7 years to as high as 21.5 years. Parents/guardians of child laborers

have stated a lower minimum age of employment than the parents of non childlaborers. Male and female respondents from all segments of parents/guardians have

stated similar responses for the above indicators.

Table 10.2.1: Sources of information from where knowledge regarding minimum

age of employment was gathered by the respondentsSources of information Child

laborers%

Non-child

laborers%

Employers of

child laborers%

Television

- -

46

School/Educational

Institutions

19

Newspapers 25Friends/Neighbors 33

Parents/ Guardians 23 36

-

Other family members 16 13

Friends 29 13

Friends/ colleagues in

workplace

23 3

Employer, owner or 8 -


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supervisor

From teacher 23 56(Q: From where did you l earn or hear about the minimum age of employment i n the countr y as per law/legislation?

Multiple Code Response)

The employers5

mentioned (46%) television as the highest source of information

through which the knowledge regarding the minimum age of employment wasgathered. 33% of the employers also mentioned having collected similar information

from friends and neighbors. Non-child laborers seem to have highest exposure to the

information provided by the schools they attend 56% of the non-child laborers

mentioned having received information on the minimum age of employment from their

teachers whilst 36% also mentioned parents/guardians as sources. Table 10.2.1 above

lists out the different sources mentioned by the respondents in details.

Figure 10.2.3: Awareness of the respondents from the secondary participant group

regarding minimum age of employment in Bangladesh

The respondents from the secondary participant group, which includes employers (who

do not employ child laborers), religious leaders, trade union activists, and NGOpersonnel etc hold varying perceptions about the minimum age of employment

according to the legislations in Bangladesh. Almost all the respondents from the

5 TV as a source of information pertaining to Age of Employment and relevant matters is a claimed

response. In reality, there are very limited numbers of documentaries, commercials or infomercials are, or

were ever, shown through the TV medium regarding the matter. This is why the other respondents did not

mention TV as a likely source of information.

Employers (who do not employ children)

- 15 years

- 18 years

- 18-20 years

- No application of the law

Religious leaders

- Minimum age of employment is notfollowed by employers in Bangladesh

- 20 years

- 18 years

Trade union activists

- 16-18 years

- 20 years

- Nobody follows the law, children areregularly being employed in hazardous

forms of work

NGO personnel

- 18 years

- Minimum age is not respected byanyone in this country

Minimum age ofemployment in

Bangladesh


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68% 76% 60% 70%

96% 95% 92% 96%

100% 100% 100% 100%

69% 69% 79% 71%

81% 87% 90% 88%

87% 88% 79% 83%


Employers of Child

Laborers

Non-Child laborers

Child Laborers

Care-takers

Parents of Non-childlaborers

Parents of Child Laborer

secondary participant group opined that laws and legislations are frequently evaded by

employers across the country, which translates into children being employed in many

different hazardous forms of work almost on a regular basis.

10.3 Awareness about primary education being compulsory and free for all children

aged 5-14 years in Bangladesh

Figure 10.3.1 below highlights the positive awareness amongst the different

respondents regarding the fact that primary education is compulsory for all children

aged 5-14 years. It can be seen that majority of the respondents across all the categories

were aware of this law. Amongst the different types of respondents however, child

laborers and their parents attribute lower levels of awareness in comparison to others -

whilst 96% of the parents of non-child laborers were aware of this issue in comparison

to only 68% parents of child laborers.

Figure 10.3.1: Positive awareness regarding primary education being compulsory

for all children aged between 5-14 years

(Q: Are you aware of the fact that primary education is compulsory for all chil dren aged between 5-14 years in

Bangladesh according to the law?Yes/No, Single Code response)

The government provides free primary education to children till Class V in the country.

Awareness regarding this fact was also quite high amongst the various populations as

can be seen from Figure: 10.3.2 below. However, mirroring the findings above, the

awareness level amongst the child laborers and their parents about primary education

being free in the country was comparatively lower than other respondent categories.


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Government has made certainlaws and policies about sendinchildren to school, but I dontthink they are followed properThe government should see

through that the parents arecontinuing education of theirchildren till Class: 5.

Government should introducesome special legislation forproviding education andaccommodation to the orphan

children in the country

Employers, Bandarban

Laws/legislation pertainin

sending all children to sch

73% 80% 67% 75%

90% 96% 95% 92%

100% 100% 100% 100%

68% 78% 77% 70%

91% 86% 96% 88%

90% 84% 82% 83%


Employers of Child

Laborers

Non-Child laborers

Child Laborers

Care-takers

Parents of Non-child

laborers


Figure 10.3.2: Positive awareness regarding primary education

being free for all children aged between 5-14 years

(Q: Are you aware of the fact that primary education is free for all children aged between 5-14 years in the

country? Yes/No, Single Code response)

The implications of the above findings are evident in the actions of the families in which

children are involved in income-earning activities and arent going to school. The

parents of the child laborers were less aware of the opportunities that the government

has created for childrens education and also of the legal obligation of complying with

certain rules and regulations of the country. This dearth of knowledge is an obvious

reason why their children are working, instead of studying.

The respondents from the secondary respondent group were askedabout the initiatives that need to be taken by the Government for

improving the condition of childrens education in the country.

Some of the collective responses include the following:

Govt. should provide books, pens, copies free of cost till 12

years of a childs education life.

Govt. should ban employment of children.

Orphan children should be given special priority and free

education facilities.

Greater number of educational institutions should be built inrural areas.

Number of registered government schools should be increased.

Education-assistance tools and equipments (such as

blackboards, chalk, dusters, chairs, tables in schools) should be

given free of cost to schools or at subsidized rates.

Technical education facilities and institutes should be increased


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Page 28

30 27

14

30

66

5446

63

97 100 100 97

3742 43

38



Parents of Non-child laborers

Care-takers

Employers

Respondents from the secondary participant group hold the view that school

operational tools and equipments should be provided at subsidized rates, or even free

of cost, to both the recipients and the providers of education. They stated that such an

endeavor would eventually lead to improvement in the quality of education as well as

an increase in the number of schools.

10.4 Awareness about child labor and relevant activities that constitute child labor

Figure 10.4.1: Positive awareness ofthe term child labor

(Q: Are you aware of the term Child Labor?Yes/No, Single Code response)

As can be seen from Figure: 10.4.1 above, care-takers across urban, rural and control

areas were aware of the term child labor, and such a high level of awareness is because

the care-takers are working in close association with child laborers and are duly aware

of these childrens conditions. However, the awareness regarding the phrase child

labor amongst employers of child laborers and parents of child laborers was extremely

Govt. has some active laws on sending all children to school.

Primary education has been made compulsory for all children. Govt.has also taken some initiatives for providing education to all disabled

children. Disable children have the right to read & write and have

their demands fulfilled. Govt. has announced that by 2011 they will

ensure 100% enrollment of children and by 2014 they will ensure100% literacy within the country. We would like to convey our thanks

to the govt. for taking such a great initiative.

Religious Leaders, Barisal on Laws/legislation pertaining to

sending all children to school


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poor across all the regions: 63% of the parents of non-child laborers were aware of the

term compared to a mere 30% of the parents of the child laborers and 38% of the

employers of child laborers. Once again, low levels of awareness can be associated with

actions of the latter two types of respondents; since many of the parents of child

laborers and employers are unable to recall or relate to the the term child labor, they

are more unlikely to understand the prohibition of involving children in differentlaborious activities. Table: 10.4.1 below shows some of the prevalent concepts

contained by the respondents who are aware of the term child labor, as to what

activities constitute child labor.

Table 10.4.1: Types of activities that constitute Child LaborTypes of work that

constitutes child laborParents of

child

laborer%

Parents of

non-child

laborers

%

Care-

takers%Employers%

UrbanDriving Vehicles 20 - 9 -

Any type of work 13 25 - 22

Welding 12 - 16 12

Helper in vehicles 10 - - -

Carrying heavy loads - 8 - -

Working in factories - 7 - -

Land digging - - 44 -

Brick and rock chipping 9 - - -

Risky or hazardous types

of work- - - 8

Rural

Any type of work 23 33 50 30

Working at a young age 14 - - 12

Any risky/ hazardouswork

13 9 - -

Carrying heavy loads - 8 - -

Wiring - - 50 -

Welding - - - 12

Control

Driving Vehicles 24 - 20 -Any type of work 18 17 20 22

Any risky/ hazardouswork

18 - - 27

Factory worker 12 - - -

Working at a young age - 17 - -

Hotel - 13 - -

Garage - 9 - -


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Helper in vehicles - - 20 -

Working for long duration - - 40 -

Recharging batteries - - 20 -

Construction - - 22

(Q: According to your knowledge, what types of activities constitute Child Labor in the country? Multiple

Code response)

Awareness about the fact that child labor constitutes any type of work (no matter the

nature of the task) was lower amongst the parents of the child laborers when compared

to parents of non-child laborers: 33% of the parents of non-child laborers in rural areas

and 25% of the parents of non-child laborers in urban areas considered any type of work

performed by a child to be child labor. Compared to the above, 23% of the parents of

child laborers in rural areas and only 13% of the parents of child laborers in urban areas

considered any type of work performed by a child to be child labor. 27% of the

employers thought that only if children are involved in hazardous/risky work, it accounts

for child labor.

Table 10.4.2:Percent of population who are aware that children aged

less than 14 years of age involved in any work is child labor- with probe

(Q: Do you think that children aged less than 14 years involved in any type of work is child l abor?Yes/No, singlecode response)

Parents/guardians and the care-takers were asked for the exact definition of child labor

and also whether they think children aged less than 14 years of age involved in any type

of work can be defined as child labor. In response, almost all the respondents claimed to

be aware of the fact and agreed with the statement. Despite such high level of claimed

awareness (almost hundred percent), child labor is still practiced by the

parents/guardians of child laborer. This attitude shows a disregard for the law/policy

and for the adverse effects on childrens mental and physical health . It could also be

ascribed to the financial crisis suffered by these families or absence of a viable option

(parents are physically challenged to work, too many mouths to feed in the family, many

young children in the family etc) that lead them to involve children in work despite

being aware of the adversities associated with child labor.

Area Parents

of child

laborer%

Parents of non-

child laborers%

Care-

takers%

Urban 99 99 97

Rural 98 99 100

Control 100 100 80

Total 99 99 97


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The various laws in Bangladesh pertaining

to Child Rights according to the KIs

1. Child Law 1974 (wk AvBb 1974)

2. Labor Law of Bangladesh 2006 (evsjv`k kg

AvBb 2006)

3. National Child Labor reducing policy 2010

(RvZxq wk kg wbimb bxwZ)

4. Muslim Family Law

5. Law of Criminal Procedure of Bangladesh. (evsjv`k wewa)

6. Act 27, 28(1), 2, 3, 31, 32 of the Constitution ofBangladesh has mentioned about Childs Rights

7. Child Policy 2011

Table 10.4.3:Percent of population who are aware that children agedbetween 15-18 years involved in hazardous work is child labor- with probe

(Q: Do you think that children aged between 15 -18 years of age involved in hazardous/ri sky forms of work

constitutes child labor? Yes/No, single code response)

When the same respondents were asked whether they think children aged between 15-

18 years of age involved in hazardous forms of work can be defined as child labor,

majority of the respondents across all the three categories responded positively.

However, the claimed awareness about this definition of child labor is comparativelylower amongst the parents/guardians segment than compared to the previous

definition (children below age 14 years doing any type of work is child labor). This is at

par with the definition of a child provided by the respondents from the same segment

(average age till which a person is considered as a child lies within the range 12-13

years)

It can be inferred from the above findings that awareness regarding age-specific

definitions of child labor is quite high amongst people who are aware of the term Child

Labor. But a major portion of the respondent base has been found to be unaware of this

term, so the awareness level on a whole remains very poor.

According to the respondents in the tertiary group, child labor occurs when a child is

involved in any kind of work. The work

can be light, hazardous, or risky. The

labor can be expended in two forms

mental and physical. Work that is

hazardous in nature, unsafe, has to be

undertaken in unhealthy atmosphere,

work that takes a long time every day,

work without entertainment or rest

can all be defined as child labor. These

children may receive money, food or

other facility in return of their

services, but nonetheless, such forms

of labor are prohibited in the country.

They also mentioned that the

laws/legislation pertaining to child

rights in Bangladesh are not effective.

Area Parents of

child

laborer%

Parents of non-

child laborers%

Care-

takers%

Urban 86 95 97

Rural 91 90 100

Control 88 85 80

Total 87 94 97


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Such dismal failure of application of the laws in the country is mainly due to the

Bangladeshi social context. Peoples adverse financial condition does not allow them an

option of practicing child rights in their life. People are also less aware about the rights

of children. Furthermore, the respondents also opined that children themselves may be

restricted in wanting to realize their rights as a human being, since the societal dynamics

often give them little freedom to express their opinion. Children are doing various typesof works in different factories, restaurant/hotels, agriculture, manufacturing companies,

and construction or transport related work. Poverty, illiteracy, ignorance, lack of

awareness etc are all reasons why so many children are involved in child labor in the

country.

10.5 Awareness about different rules and legislations pertaining to employing children

Figure 10.5.1: Percent of the population who are aware of the rules/legislations

related to employing children aged between 15-18 years

(Q: Are you aware of the preconditions to which one has to comply before employing children aged between 15 -18

years of age inBangladesh?Yes/No, Single Code response)

Awareness about the different rules and legislations regarding employing children aged

between 15-18 years in Bangladesh was higher amongst the parents of child laborers in

urban areas (30%), than compared to parents of non-child laborers in the same area

(10%). However, the scenario changes in the case of the rural areas and control area,

where more number of parents of non-child laborers were aware of the preconditions

of employment when compared to the parents of child laborers. At an overall level, the

awareness regarding the laws/legislation was very low amongst the parents/guardians

of child laborers (4%). This is an alarming finding and can be attributed to several

factors: lack of exposure to the information; unwillingness to seek information

pertaining to employment of children etc. Either ways, this issue needs to be addressed.

30

7

0

4

1012

4

11

36

1 0

40

24

1 23

7

24

12

31

57

17

0

10

20

30

40

50

60




laborers

Care-takers

Child Laborers

Non-child laborers

Employers


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Page 33

13

24

8

16

47

45

36

43

91

100 100 97

18

25

8

20

46 48

35

47

2126

1922

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100


Parents of Child

Laborer

Parents of Non-

child laborers

Care-takers

Child Laborers

Non-child

laborers

Employers

14

21

8

15

4437

25

43

91

100 10097

14

22

5

16

4036

29

39

1824

9

20

0

20

40

60

80

100

120


Parents of Child

Laborer

Parents of Non

child laborers

Care-takers

Child Laborers

Non-child labo

Employers

Employers of child laborers had very poor awareness about the rules and legislations

regarding employing children aged between 15-18 years of age; only 17% of the total

employers have stated to be aware of the preconditions. This is an issue of great

concern since lack of awareness on the employers side about the law can induce a

spillover effect employers can act as an important information source for parents andchildren, and if they remain unaware of the rules/legislations, the transfer of

information remains absent or wrong information is passed.

Awareness regarding the prohibitions about not employing children aged less than 14

years in any type of work and children between ages 15-18 years in hazardous forms of

work was very high amongst the care-takers segment, but extremely low amongst the

child laborers and their parents/guardians. Awareness regarding the same is also quite

low amongst the employers of child laborers, as can be seen from Figure: 10.5.2 and

Figure: 10.5.3 below.

(Figure: 10.5.2 Q: Are you aware of the law that it is legally prohibited to employ children less than 14 years of age

in any type of work?Yes/No, Single Code response)

(Figure: 10.5.3 Q: Are you aware of the law that i t is legally prohibited to employ chi ldr en aged between 15-18

years in hazardous/risky forms of work?Yes/No, Single Code response)

The knowledge regarding the preconditions about employment of children aged

between 15-18 years should be present amongst all stakeholders in order to ensure

child laborers rights and safety at work. Respondents were asked about what

Figure 10.5.3: Percent of population aware tha

is legally prohibited to employ children aged

between 15-18 years in hazardous type of wor

Figure 10.5.2: Percent of population aware

that it is legally prohibited to employ children

less than 14 years of age in any type of work


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laws/legislation pertaining to employing children between 15-18 years of age they are

aware of. In response, most respondents across all the categories stated the responses

depicted in Figure: 10.5.4.

Figure 10.5.4: Awareness regarding rulesand legislations pertaining to employing children aged between 15-18 years

(Q: Please tell us about some of the preconditions that you can remember pertaining to employing

chi ldr en aged between 15-18 years.Multiple Code response)

The respondents were able to recall at least one precondition from the list of seven, and

the recall included preconditions such as refraining from engaging children in worst

forms of labor; specify daily working hours; and to pay wages regularly at rates mutually

agreed upon. It is also interesting to observe the somewhat poor levels of recall of

23

0

21

16

37

56

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Refraining from employing

them in hazardous work

Parents of Child

Laborer

Parents of Non-

child laborers

Care-takers

Child Laborers

Non-child

laborers

Employers

48

12

0

32

11

32

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Provide a designated amount of salary regularly


Parents of Non-childlaborers

Care-takers

Child Laborers

Non-child laborers

Employers

3

0

29

1614

38

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Mentioning the daily

working hours

Parents of Child

Laborer


laborers

Care-takers

Child Laborers

Non-child laborers

Employers


36/93

Page 35

laws/legislations by the parents of non-child laborers. The parents, whose children are

not working anywhere, were less aware of the rules and legislations. Highest level of

awareness amongst parents/guardians of child laborers pertain to the condition of

providing designated amount of salary timely, which implies that the importance of the

monetary gain is immense amongst the parents/ guardians of child laborers.

Respondents from the secondary participant group were also asked to share about thepreconditions of employing children aged 15-18 years. In response, the respondents

mentioned about fixing working hours and abiding by them; providing weekly holidays;

giving children age-appropriate work; treating children with respect etc. Details are

given in Figure 10.5.5.

10.6 Awareness about the impact of child labor on children

Figure: 10.6.1 and Figure: 10.6.2 below show the percentage of population who were

aware of the impact of child labor on children. Although majority of the respondents

across all three segments were found to be aware, lowest levels of awareness were

cited by parents of child laborers.

It is also interesting to note that, when compared to the awareness about the adverse

impact of child labor on children aged less than 14 years; fewer respondents amongstthe parents/guardians seemed to be aware of the same impact on children aged

between 15-18 years. This is a possible attribution of the definition of child as

perceived by the respondents. Children above 14 years of age are deemed to be more

capable of working and less prone to physical or emotional trauma associated with

laborious tasks.

Figure 10.5.5: Preconditions for employment of children between 15-18 years ofage as recalled by secondary respondent group

They should be given work that is appropriate for their age.

Working hours should be fixed and followed thoroughly.

A fixed amount of salary should be determined.

Weekly holidays should be provided.

They cannot be involved in any hazardous/heavy work.

Food and accommodation should be provided to the children.

They cannot work for more than 4-5 hours per day.


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(For Fig:10.6.1 Q: Do you think that children aged less than 14 years, who are involved in any type of wor k, suff er

from adverse effects on their physical, cognitive and social development?Yes/No, Single Code response)

(For Fig:10.6.2 Q: Do you think that children aged between 15-18 years involved in hazardous/ri sky forms of work,

suffer from adverse effects on their physical, cognitive and social development?Yes/No, Single Code response)

The adverse impact of child labor on children, as perceived by the respondents, include

fever, headache, vomiting due to work pressure (cited by 44% of the parents of childlaborer), accidents leading to mutilation of body parts (cited by 23% of the parents of

non-child laborers); hamper on physical growth (cited by 60% of the care-takers) etc.

Table: 10.6.1 and 10.6.2 below shows the impacts that gained highest responses.

Figure 10.6.1: Percent of population

who are aware of the adverse impact

of child labor in childrens (aged less

than 14 years) in physical, cognitive,

and social development

Figure 10.6.2: Percent of population

who are aware of the adverse impact

of child labor in childrens (aged

between 15-18 years) in physical,

cognitive, and social development

73

8579

76

8794 96

88

100 100 100 100

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100


Parents of Child

Laborer

Parents of Non-

child laborers

Care-takers

54 54 53 5460

7174

6260

88

100

89

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100


Parents of Child

Laborer

Parents of Non-

child laborers

Care-takers


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Table 10.6.1: The adverse impact of child labor on childrens (aged less than 14

years) physical, cognitive, and social development

Impact Parents of Child

Laborer%

Parents of Non-

child laborers%

Care-takers%

Fever, headache, vomiting44 - -Mutilation of body parts 31 23

Falls sick often - 16

Physical growth is

hampered- -

60

Becomes mentally

distressed34

(Q: Please tell us about the adverse effects on the physical, cogniti ve and social development of a chil d aged less

than 14 yearsdue to child labor that you are aware of.Multiple Code response)

Table 10.6.2: The stated adverse impact of child labor on childrens (aged between

15-18 years) physical, cognitive, and social development

Impact Parents of Child

Laborer%

Parents of Non-

child laborers%

Care-takers%

Sickness such as fever,

headache23

--

Mutilation of body parts 16

Lose ability to work

properly16 16

-Impedes mental andphysical growth

- 15

Suffers from differentdiseases like fever, skin

disease, eye sight problems

etc. -

-81

May become physically

disable39

(Q: Please tell us about the adverse effects on the physical , cogniti ve, and social development of a chi ld aged

between 15-18 yearsdue to child labor that you are aware of.Multiple Code response)


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10.7 Awareness about the importance of school and education in childrens life

The parents/guardians and care-takers surveyed in the study were asked whether they

agree to the statement that School is the best place to work for children. In response,

majority of the respondents across all the three categories agreed to the statement, ascan be seen from Figure: 10.7.1, indicating that schools are deemed to be the most

appropriate venue for children by the parents/guardians and care-takers. The reasons

why this is so deemed by the respondents is rooted in the belief that educated people

obtain better paid jobs in the future, and that the lessons delivered through the school

curriculum teaches children about the different tact and skills required for being a

skilled labor in the market. Table 10.7.1 lists down some of the common responses cited

by respondents across the three segments.

(Q: Do you agree that school is the bestplace forchildren to work?Yes/No, Single Code

response)

Table 10.7.1: Reasons why school is considered to be the bestplace for children to work

Figure 10.7.1: Percent of population who think school is

the best place to work for children

6462

40

63

73 7470

73

60

85

50

83

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90


Parents of Child

Laborer

Parents of Non-

child laborers

Care-takers


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(Q: Why do

you thin kthat school is the best place for chi ldr en to work? Multiple Code response)

School and education are deemed to be the gateways for availing a better job in the

future- such is the predominant understanding held by the respondents surveyed in the

segments parents/guardians and care-takers. The most common perception held by the

parents/guardians and care-takers of why education is important in the development of

a childs physical, psychological and cognitive aspects is that, education leads to the

development of a persons intellect. Table: 10.7.2 below shows the various perceptions

cited by the respondents.

Table 10.7.2: The importance of education in childs physical, psychological,

cognitive, and social development

Factors cited Parents of

Child

Laborer%

Parents of Non-

child

laborers%

Care-takers%

Education leads to

development and

progress in life and a

persons intellect

44 30 66

Educated people get

better jobs 15 - -

They can work for social

development causes in

the future

- 13

Responsibility towards

the society grows- -

31

(Q: How does education contribute to a childs physical, psychological, cognitive, and social development?

Multiple Code response)

Reasons cited Parents of

Child

Laborer%

Parents of

Non-child

laborers%

Care-takers%

Education helps

people to get a better

job later

28 23 31

School and its

curriculum teaches

people how to work

29 25-

School teaches people

about many different

things

17 15 17

They become

educated- -

48


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10.8 Employers awareness about Child Labor and the Rules/Legislations pertaining to

eliminating Child Labor

From Figure: 10.8.1 below, it can be inferred that a major portion of the employers ofchild laborers surveyed in the study are unaware regarding the existing laws in

Bangladesh that requires all children between 5-14 years to attend primary school and

also of the National Child Labor Elimination Policy 2010. This is an issue of great concern

since lack of awareness amongst employers leads to greater employment of children as

labor. Without proper understanding of obligations and prohibitions set by the laws of

the country, employers are more likely to continue with employing children in both light

and hazardous forms of work.

Figure 10.8.1: Employers awareness level about existing rules/legislations

pertaining to sending children to school and about the

National Child Labor Elimination Policy

(Q: Are you aware of any laws/legislations in the country requiring all children to be sent to school? Yes/No,

Single Code response); (Q: Are you aware of the National Child Labor Elimination Policy? Yes/No, Single Code)

Employers (who do not employ children) from the secondary participant group in

Bandarban shared their views that although Bangladesh Government does have some

laws about prohibiting employment of children, these laws are hardly observed or

respected by employers at both the district (zilla) and sub-district (upazilla) level. One ofthe respondent stated, Child laborers should be withdrawn from their work, if

necessary by force, and if their parents are unable to provide them education then the

Government should take all responsibilities of educating the child. This approach will be

more effective than the present laws/legislations. Religious leaders from Khulna

mentioned that it is legally prohibited to employ children in any type of work. Legal

punitive measures can be taken against employers who employ children; Child abuse

case can be filed against them. However, they also commented that the application of

23

16

21

18

24

14

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Percent of Employers who areaware of any rules/ legislations

regarding sending children to

school

Percent of Employers who areaware of the National Child Labor

Elimination Policy

Urban

Rural

Control


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16

12

7

6

14

5

6

12

7

2

6

5

2

6

5

8

4

0

0 5 10 15 20

Urban

Rural

Control

Workshops

Hotels

Construction

Brick fields

Factories (Salt/ Sawmills/Thread making)

Welding/Grills

such rules and legislation is hardly evident, hence making the laws ineffective.

10.9 Employers awareness about the types of industries/activities that employ

children aged less than 14 years in risky/hazardous form of work

Many of the employers in the urban areas mentioned welding/grill making as an activitywhere a lot of children aged less than 14 years were employed. Factories such as salt-

production, saw-mills, thread-making factories etc were also mentioned by many of the

employers in the rural area.

Figure 10.9.1: Industries/activities that employ children less than 14

years of age in risky/hazardous forms of work

(Q: Please tell us according to your knowledge, what are some of the industries or occupation that employ child

laborers in the country?Multiple Code response)

The respondents from the secondary participant group were also asked about the types

of work or industries that employ children in hazardous forms of work in the country. In

response, respondents across various segments mentioned several types of works

including hotels, automobile repairs, work related to chemicals, welding etc. Besides

naming specific professions, religious leaders, trade union activists, and NGO Personnel

also stated that any work that interferes with a childs time to study and/or isthreatening to the life of the child is hazardous work, and many children in the country

are involved in such types of work. Specific responses received from the secondary

participants group are given below in Figure: 10.9.2.


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Figure 10.9.2: Types of work/industry that are prohibited to employ children

according to the respondents from the secondary participant group

Employers (who donot employ

children)

Hotels;

Bus helper;

Rickshaw-puller;

Driving;

mechanical work;

lifting heavyobjects;

operating weldingmachine;

ship breaking;

driving boat;

stone chipping,

glass factory;

pump-machine inautomobile

indsutry;

ice factory

etc

Religious

leaders

Life-

threatening

work

Work thatinterferes with

their studying

and education

time

NGO Personnel

Any work thatis risky

Work thatinvolves sharp

objects andflammable

tools

Construction

Tra

KAPE Study on Child Labor

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