Vulnerable Section and Social Empowerment 

Social empowerment refers to the process of increasing the capacity of individuals and groups in society to make choices and take actions that improve their social, economic, and political well-being. It involves increasing people's access to resources, skills, knowledge, and opportunities that enable them to participate fully in the social and economic life of their communities.  

Social empowerment can take many forms, including promoting gender equality, providing access to education and healthcare, fostering community participation, and ensuring equal opportunities for all members of society. The ultimate goal of social empowerment is to create a more inclusive and equitable society where all individuals have the ability to lead fulfilling lives and reach their full potential. 

There is a need for social empowerment because many people face social, economic, and political barriers that prevent them from participating fully in society and realizing their full potential. Social inequalities based on gender, caste, race, religion, ethnicity, and other factors often result in unequal distribution of resources, opportunities, and power in society. This leads to exclusion, discrimination, and marginalization of certain groups, which can have far-reaching social and economic consequences. 

Social empowerment can help to address these inequalities by providing people with the tools and resources they need to participate more fully in society. For example, by promoting gender equality, women can gain greater access to education, healthcare, and employment opportunities, which can help to break the cycle of poverty and improve their social and economic well-being. Similarly, by promoting inclusive policies and programs that support marginalized communities, social empowerment can help to build more resilient and cohesive societies that are better equipped to address the challenges of poverty, inequality, and social exclusion. Ultimately, social empowerment can contribute to the creation of a more just, equitable, and sustainable world where all individuals have the opportunity to thrive. 

Children and Associated Issues 

1.Child Labor

Child labor is a significant issue in India, with millions of children engaged in various forms of work. Despite the existence of laws prohibiting child labor, the practice remains widespread due to poverty, inadequate education, and a lack of effective enforcement. The situation of child labor in India is complex and multifaceted, with many children engaged in hazardous and exploitative work. 

According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), there were an estimated 10.1 million child laborers in India between the ages of 5 and 17 in 2020. This represents a significant decline from the previous estimate of 10.9 million in 2016. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an increase in child labor in some sectors, such as agriculture and domestic work. 

The situation of child labor in India is particularly acute in certain industries, such as agriculture, mining, and domestic work. Children are also employed in hazardous work, such as brick kilns, fireworks factories, and construction sites. According to a report by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), more than 70% of child laborers in India are engaged in agriculture, while around 20% work in manufacturing and the rest are involved in construction, mining, and other sectors. 

Child labor is a violation of human rights and has significant social and economic consequences. Children engaged in work are denied access to education and suffer from poor health and nutrition. They are also vulnerable to exploitation and abuse, including physical and sexual violence. The economic costs of child labor are also significant, as it results in lost opportunities for human capital development and lower productivity. 

The Government of India has taken several measures to address child labor, including the enactment of laws prohibiting the practice and the establishment of programs and initiatives to promote education and social protection for children. However, the implementation of these measures remains a challenge, and the prevalence of child labor in India continues to be a significant concern. 

Poverty and Child Labour- a vicious cycle 

Poverty and child labor are two interrelated issues that form a vicious cycle. Poverty can lead to child labor, and child labor can perpetuate poverty, resulting in a cycle that is difficult to break. The following are some ways in which poverty and child labor are linked: 

Lack of access to education: Poverty often prevents children from attending school, either because their families cannot afford the fees or because they need to work to support their families. Without education, children are more likely to remain trapped in a cycle of poverty and continue to engage in child labor. 

Need for additional income: Many families in poverty rely on the income their children earn through labor to make ends meet. This can lead to children working long hours in hazardous or exploitative conditions, which can have long-term effects on their health and wellbeing. 

Lack of social protection: Families living in poverty often lack access to basic social protection measures, such as health care and insurance. This can make it more difficult for them to cope with emergencies and unexpected expenses, such as medical bills, which can force them to rely on child labor as a coping mechanism. 

Limited employment opportunities: Poverty can limit the employment opportunities available to parents, forcing them to rely on their children's income to survive. This can perpetuate the cycle of poverty by depriving children of education and limiting their future employment prospects. 

According to a report by the International Labour Organization (ILO), poverty is one of the main causes of child labor, with over 90% of child labor occurring in low-income countries. The report also states that children in households with lower incomes are more likely to engage in child labor than those in wealthier households. 

Breaking the cycle of poverty and child labor requires a comprehensive approach that addresses the root causes of both issues. This includes providing access to education, improving social protection measures, and creating employment opportunities for parents. It also requires effective enforcement of laws prohibiting child labor and support for families to ensure they can provide for their children's basic needs without relying on their labor. 

Impact Of The Pandemic 

The child-labour problem in India, already one of the worst in the world, has been worsened by the Covid-19 pandemic as children are being forced to leave schools and work in farms and factories due to additional poverty and vulnerability caused by the crisis. 

The fight against child labour may suffer a setback due to the Covid-19 crisis, which has increased poverty in vulnerable populations and jeopardized progress made in recent years, as per the International Labour Organisation (ILO). 

The nationwide lockdown imposed in India has led to millions of people falling into poverty, creating an environment that encourages trafficking of children from villages to cities for cheap labour, exacerbating the child-labour problem. 

School closures have worsened the child-labour situation in India, as millions of children are working to contribute to their family's income, while the pandemic has increased the vulnerability of women, men and children to exploitation. 

The lack of social protection during the Covid-19 pandemic is most affecting those in informal employment, and according to the ILO, about 25 million people in India could lose their jobs. 

The urban unemployment rate in India has already reached 30.9%, according to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy's (CMIE) weekly tracker survey, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Orphaned children in India are particularly vulnerable to exploitation and trafficking, as they may be forced into begging or child labour, and older siblings may drop out of school to support younger siblings in such families. 

Children are being used to fill the jobs left vacant by migrant laborers who fled cities for their rural homes during the lockdown in India. 

During the lockdown in India, Bachpan Bachao Andolan, a civil society group focused on children's rights, rescued a total of 591 children from forced work and bonded labour across the country. 

Government Measures undertaken to eradicate Child Labor 

• Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act(1986) was introduced to prohibit certain employments of children and to regulate the conditions of work of children in other employments. 
• In 2016, the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act was introduced which completely prohibits the employment of children below 14 years of age. The amendment also prohibits adolescents in the age group of 14 to 18 years from being employed in hazardous occupations and processes, and regulates their working conditions where they are not prohibited. 
• India ratified two core conventions of the International Labour Organization on child labour on World Day Against Child Labour (June 12) in 2017. 
• The National Policy on Child Labour (1987) focuses more on the rehabilitation of children working in hazardous occupations and processes than on prevention. 
• The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2000 and its amendment in 2006 include the working child in the category of children in need of care and protection, regardless of age or occupation type. Sections 23 and 26 specifically address child labour under children in need of care and protection. 
• Pencil is a dedicated platform launched by the government to ensure effective enforcement of child labour laws and end child labour. 
• The Right to Education Act 2009 mandates that all children aged six to 14 years be in school and receive free education. Article 21A of the Constitution of India recognizes education as a fundamental right, which provides a timely opportunity to use education to combat child labour in India. 
• Amendments made to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act prescribe severe punishment for those found guilty of retaining bonded labour. 
• The draft National Policy for Domestic Workers, when enforced, will ensure a minimum salary of Rs. 9,000 for household helpers. 
• Every police station in the country has a separate cell for the protection of juveniles, women, and children. 
• Many NGOs such as Bachpan Bachao Andolan, CARE India, Child Rights and You, Global march against child labour, RIDE India, Childline, etc., are working towards eradicating child labour in India. 

Challenges Before Policy Makers With Respect To Child Labour 

Enforcement of laws against child labour is being hindered by the pandemic, as there are fewer workplace inspections and less aggressive pursuit of human traffickers. NGOs predict that the worst is yet to come, as the return of migrant workers to the cities may lead to an increase in child labour. The pandemic has also resulted in setbacks in children's access to education, basic nutrition, and other critical necessities, causing many more children to fall victim to forced labour, and worsening the conditions for existing child labourers. 

The lack of coherence between laws that establish a minimum age for employment and those that mandate compulsory school education creates confusion, highlighting the need for the expansion of quality universal basic education to extend beyond fulfilling statutory requirements. Additionally, child labour is not uniform and takes various forms, making it challenging to eliminate through a single strategy. 

There is also a lack of national legislation to implement global conventions on child labour in hazardous industries and on the minimum age of work, as well as a lack of harmony between global commitments and domestic priorities. Furthermore, effective labour inspections are missing in the informal economy, where around 71% of working children are concentrated in the agriculture sector, with 69% of them engaged in unpaid work in family units.