In today’s world where rapid technology changes are creating new facets every day, there are still some deeply rooted evils in society that are a blot on the very concept of humanity and humanism in general. Once such practise is the concept of employing children for work, often discussed under the umbrella term child labour.

So what is child labour? Broadly defined, child labour is engaging children in work, thereby depriving them of their childhood, their ability to achieve their full potential and their dignity. Because of this, there is physical, metal and emotional harm to children that causes permanent scars as they grow up to be adults. Additionally, schooling is affected as many children are either forced to drop out of school or attend school on a part tie basis, in addition to the heavy work they are involved in. Oftentimes, the work children are involved in involves manual labour.

So what makes child labour so attractive? Some of the reasons are

1. Children are vulnerable and can be exploited easily.
2. Lower wages for children.
3. Certain activities require nimbleness, which is impossible to replicate by either adults or machines.
4. In a work environment, children are manageable and compliant to employer’s demands.

If we consider all individuals below the age of 18 to be under the spectrum of children, then it is a shocking statistic  as per https://stopchildlabour.org/about-child-labour/ that

• Almost 1 in 10 children between the age of 5 and 17 years old have to work
• About 4.3 million children aged below 18 years are in forced labour
• 70.9% works in agriculture
• 17.2% in the service sector
• 11.9% in heavy industry
• Most child labour takes place in the informal sector
• Nearly 70% of the children does unpaid work supporting their family

Some of the industries in the manufacturing and services sector notorious for employing children include apparel, pyrotechnics and the like. The main factors supporting child labour include poverty, gross and widespread corruption, a poorly functioning education setup and social norms, amongst others.

Given the major repercussions and individuals and society, it is no doubt that child labour should be abolished. Even though strict laws are formulated, many times, there is lax enforcement. With strict enforcement and a corresponding strengthening of the educational system and setup, child labour can surely be abolished.

Bell Matches has a zero tolerance to child labour and ensures that all products are manufactured ethically and under the strictest standards. Most operations are automated, with minimal human resource involvement. With a proactive approach and strong management drive, Bell Matches is at the forefront of real change in an age-old industry.