Commemorating World Day Against Child Labour

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Commemorating World Day Against Child Labour

To advocate the importance of preventing and safeguarding children who enter the work force and on the occasion of the World Day against Child Labour in 2021 declared as the International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour, the West Bengal Government has planned the launch of a series of activities resulting out of intersectoral convergence to address issues concerning child labour with support from UNICEF. These initiatives are being led by the Dept. of Panchayati Raj and brings together the departments of Labour, WCD&SW, School Education in the districts. The efforts will be to prevent child labour and with it, migration for labour, bringing children back to school and facilitating their skills building based on interest of the child. It will also roll out capacity building for all district level functionaries such as SRLM, NYKS/NSS, UNICEF NGO partners who will be in the forefront of making the initiative work on a daily basis.

The Government of West Bengal commemorated World Day against Child Labour 2021 through an online meeting of key stakeholders in the government, partner organizations, and UNICEF.  The event was supported by UNICEF, and was facilitated by Ms. Paramita Neogi, Child Protection Specialist, UNICEF.  Two publications Communication materials were launched formally at this event. 

The online event will be followed by an intensive two-week campaign in all districts against Child Labour.  

Speaking on the occasion, Dr M. V. Rao (IAS), Additional Chief Secretary, P&RD, GoWB, noted that the event served as a reminder that although much has been done to eliminate child labour in terms of awareness and education, progress was slow, and much more needed to be done, especially against pervasive discrimination against girl children.  

Ms. Sanghamitra Ghosh (IAS) Secretary, DWCD&SW pointed out that while COVID-19 and its fall-out had thrown up an enormous challenge, especially for child protection, the P&RD and the DWCD&SW, with their frontline workers, child protection units and network of SHGs will undertake to act immediately.  Changing people’s perceptions towards childhood itself was the key to the action she said and mentioned that communities need to appreciate that the successful negotiation of developmental tasks of childhood would lead to a productive adulthood, and that children needed rich inputs in terms of nutrition, education, protection and participation to be able to become adults who in turn would give back to society. She called on all stakeholders, government and civil society to come together to fight this menace.  

Mr. Mohiuddin, Chief of Field Office, UNICEF West Bengal mentioned that UNICEF will work with the government to tackle, minimize and eliminate all vulnerabilities of child protection violations, particularly that of child labour. He acknowledged that the COVID pandemic and its associated economic stressors had an enormously negative impact on children and hoped to work with the government and civil society towards minimizing its impact. 

Ms. Nilanjana Dasgupta, IAS, Director, Child Rights & Trafficking, DWCD&SW observed that the publications were extremely useful and advocated for their intensive use at a time when loss of livelihoods and closure of schools have negative impacted the safety and well-being of children. She iterated the close collaboration of the P&RD, especially SRLM, with the DWCD&SW over the last few years and noted that the SHGs play a significant role in bringing children’s issues to the fore in communities. 

Mr. Vivek Kumar, IAS, CEO, SRLM agreed that child labour was an issue that the SRLM could and would incorporate into its capacity building of SHG federations immediately.

Paramita Neogi and Swapnodipa Biswas, Child Protection Specialist and Child Protection Officer were responsible for the entire programme and the event. 

UNICEF is supporting district level activities in 10 of its focused districts under the common theme ‘COVID- 19 & Child Labour – A Time of Crisis, A Time to Act’ demonstrating its commitment to ensure the rights for every child. District level webinars have been organized involving key stakeholders from line departments viz. WCD& Social Welfare, School Education, Labour, Panchayat and Rural Development, DCPU, ICDS, Childline, NCLP, NYKS and other civil society organizations. Labour Commissioner/Assistant labour Commissioner, DSWO, DPO-ICDS, DCPO, NCLP Director, OC health, District Youth Officers participated in the same. Activities also include community radio broadcasting through Jadavpur University and community radio station by MANT in Purulia, community level events, quiz competition and social media events. A large number of community leaders, SHG & PRI members, teachers, children and young people are participating in the events across the districts. 70 Stakeholders from multiple departments in Purulia took a mass pledge to prevent child marriage and protect children from this gross violation of rights.

Pratyusha Mukherjee
Pratyusha Mukherjee

Reported by Ms. Pratyusha Mukherjee, a Senior Journalist working for BBC and other media outlets, also a special contributor to IBG News. In her illustrated career she has covered many major events and achieved International Media Award for reporting. 

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