Status Of Child Labour In Hotels Of Hetauda Sub-Metropolitian City

Abstract

The problem of child labour, as faced by the developing economics today, has indeed taken on serious dimensions. The exploitative socio-economic structures resulting in the marginalization of the poor have left them with no option but compel them to adopt child labour as a survival strategy. In the study, efforts are made to understand the societal facts about child labour and the root causes of the problem in the context of the socio-economic dynamics prevailing in the country. Child labour is a serious and wide spread problem in Nepal. Hotel, teashop and restaurant work are the most visible and hazardous forms of child labour, which is mostly common in the urban areas of Nepal. Moreover, they are among the most neglected, abused and exploited segments of the population. The study gathered information on hotel, child laborers socio-economic condition, their working condition, root cause of being laborers and problems faced by them. The child laborers come from almost all parts of the country and they are from different castes and ethnic groups. The majority of children are of age group with the average age being 14.5 years. Most of child laborers have their poor condition, step mother scenario, and illiterate family background. The children were found marginally illiterate. The household poverty is the leading cause of being child laborer in general. However, other factors like social injustice, unequal access to resources, large family size, death of earning family members, illiteracy, etc. contribute to enter into labour market from early age. The communicable diseases were prone in child laborers.