Why Stopping Child Labour Matters: Key Points for Your Speech
Here the students will get to know about the speech on ‘Child Labour’. The speaker is trying to raise awareness among people about the seriousness of child labour and its effects on society. One of the main purposes of the speech is to motivate people to take action against child labour. We have mentioned long speeches and short speeches. You can choose any one of them according to your needs. Students and teachers can also make changes in the speech to make it more effective. Child labour is a global issue, but it is particularly prevalent in South Asia, which has the highest number of child labourers in the world. Child labour refers to the employment of children under certain allowable conditions and restrictions that differ from country to country. It can be defined as any activity performed by a child before completing their 11th birthday and obtaining 12 years of education.
Child Labour is a global issue, but it is particularly prevalent in South Asia, which has the highest number of child labourers in the world. UNICEF states in its report that there are 168 million children aged 5-17 involved in child labour worldwide, and out of these, approximately 120 million are involved in hazardous work. Child labour refers to the employment of children under certain allowable conditions and restrictions that differ from country to country.
Students can use the below-given speeches in their school and college functions. You can use this in your functions and make it more effective and efficient by making changes in order to suit your needs.
Children are considered to be the future of the country. As they grow up, they are given opportunities to prove themselves so that they could be the ones who will help in developing the country. But what if I tell you there are cases in which a child is not allowed to experience his childhood instead is thrown into adulthood where he or she is forced to work. Child labour is the crime that forces children to work at a very young age.
Below 2 speeches on child labour are given, a long speech on child labour and a short speech on child labour which helps in understanding this crime committed against young children.
Long Speech on Child Labour
'Good morning everyone!'. Today I want to talk about an important topic which is a major threat to children’s rights and that is Child labour.
Child labour is a crime in which children are forced to work at a very young age. It’s considered an illegal activity because children between the age of 5-15 are not yet ready to work anywhere. It is sad to see that the age at which children should enjoy childhood are forced to work and enter adulthood.
Millions of children around the world are forced to work which robs them of having a happy childhood, education, and a good future. Child labor remains to be a serious challenge to the happiness of children.
According to the report of the International Labour Organization(ILO), child labour has reduced in most of the country but it is still a major problem in many developing countries such as India. Srilanka etc.
So the next question that comes to everyone’s mind is what is the situation of child labour in India? According to the 2018 report of ILO, about 13 million children between the age of 5-15 are engaged in child labour in India. When children are employed at such a young age their chances to attend school and complete education is highly impossible. Children continue to do labor to provide food at the house and, in turn, are trapped in a cycle of poverty.
The age at which children should live their life to the fullest is forced to work at dangerous construction sites. The majority of these children are of age 5-15 and they work almost 16 hours per day to help their families make ends meet.
As children grow older, their involvement in getting odd jobs also increases as they have to provide for their families. In India, 20-30% of children aged 15 to 17 are involved in doing dangerous jobs which could be selling drugs or cigarettes on the streets.
India is a developing country in spite of the recent economic boom, one-third of the Indian population lives below the poverty line which is considered to be the primary reason for child labour in our country. People living in such conditions don’t have food to eat and that is the reason they make their children work.
Due to poverty, parents sell their children or abandon them on the street, which in turn causes many crimes like child trafficking and sex trafficking. These innocent and vulnerable children are then forced to odd jobs that could range from selling drugs, cigarettes, and even begging.
The Indian Government had passed a law against child labour in 1993 forbidding dangerous work that could cause harm to children under the age of 18. In spite of this, people exploit the law as there are many loopholes in the system which includes corrupted government officials.
In 2006 and 2016, the law against child labour was tightened to ensure that children under the age of 15 are not allowed to be used as domestic help at hotels and restaurants.
To conclude this speech I want to say that Government and the citizens play an important role in ending child labour which directly exploits children’s rights. The laws against child labour should be tightened and the punishment should be changed from fine to prison. It is important to fight poverty as it is the primary reason for child labour.
The Government should make sure that free education and food are provided to children, and a campaign should be organized that allows parents to see the brighter side of educating their children. A child should be tracked if he or she is not attending school. Lastly, as a citizen, it is the duty of each and every one of us to report abuse against a child. Thank you.
Short Speech on Child Labour
'Good morning everyone!', today I want to talk about an important topic which is a major threat to children’s rights and that is Child labour.
Child labour is a crime in which children are forced to work at a very young age. According to the International Labor Organization(ILO), children working below the age of 15 are not allowed. Millions of children around the world are forced to work which robs them of having a happy childhood, education, and a good future. Child labor remains to be a serious challenge to the happiness of children.
Child labour is a major problem in many developing countries which includes India. According to the 2018 report of ILO, about 13 million children between the age of 5-15 are engaged in child labour in India.
The age at which children should attend school is forced to work at dangerous construction sites. The majority of these children are of age 5-15 and they work almost 16 hours per day to help their families make ends meet. In India, 20-30% of children aged 15 to 17 are involved in doing dangerous jobs which could be selling drugs or cigarettes on the streets.
One-third of our country is in poverty which is considered to be the primary reason for child labour. People living in such conditions don’t have food to eat and that is the reason they make their children work. These innocent and vulnerable children are then forced to odd jobs that could range from selling drugs, cigarettes, and even begging.
The Indian Government had passed a law against child labour in 1993, 2006 and in 2013 forbidding dangerous work that could cause harm to children under the age of 18.
I wanna conclude this speech by saying that Government and the citizens play an important role in ending child labour. Laws against child labour should be tightened, free education and food should be provided to children. As a citizen, it is important to report child abuse to the nearest police station. Thank you.
10 Lines Speech on Child Labour
Child labour is a crime in which children are forced to work at a very young age.
Millions of children around the world are forced to work which robs them of having a happy childhood, education, and a good future. Child labor remains to be a serious challenge to the happiness of children.
According to the 2018 report of ILO, about 13 million children between the age of 5-15 are engaged in child labour in India.
The age at which children should live their life to the fullest is forced to work at dangerous construction sites. The majority of these children are of age 5-15 and they work almost 16 hours per day to help their families make ends meet.
In India, 20-30% of children aged 15 to 17 are involved in doing dangerous jobs which could be selling drugs or cigarettes on the streets.
One-third of the Indian population lives below the poverty line which is considered to be the primary reason for child labour in our country.
The Indian Government had passed a law against child labour in 1993 forbidding dangerous work that could cause harm to children under the age of 18.
In 2006 and 2016, the law against child labour was tightened to ensure that children under the age of 15 are not allowed to be used as a domestic help at hotels and restaurants.
The laws against child labour should be tightened and the punishment should be changed from fine to prison. It is important to fight poverty as it is the primary reason for child labour.
As a citizen of this country, it is the duty of each and every one of us to report the abuse of any kind of children to the police.
Conclusion:
Child labour is a crime that robs children of their development, education, and happiness. In order to end child labour, governments should tighten the laws against it as well as fight poverty as a major cause for this exploitation. As citizens, it is our duty to report all cases of child abuse to the nearest police station. In conclusion, child labour is a crime that should be stopped. People who engage in child labour should be punished. One should not forget that poverty is the primary reason for child labour. So, let us all join hands to fight poverty and bring happiness to the lives of these children.
FAQs on Speech On Child Labour: Speak Up to End Exploitation
1. What is the basic definition of child labour, particularly in the Indian context?
Child labour refers to the employment of children in any work that deprives them of their childhood, interferes with their ability to attend regular school, and is mentally, physically, socially, or morally dangerous and harmful. In India, as per the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986, a 'child' is defined as any person who has not completed their 14th year of age. The act prohibits the employment of children in specified hazardous occupations and processes.
2. What are the primary causes that force children into labour?
Several interconnected factors contribute to the persistence of child labour. The most significant causes include:
- Widespread Poverty: Families living in poverty often rely on the income generated by their children to survive.
- Lack of Access to Quality Education: When schools are unavailable, unaffordable, or of poor quality, parents may see little value in sending their children to school.
- Social Norms and Traditions: In some communities, child labour is accepted as a normal part of life or a way to learn traditional skills.
- Unemployment of Adults: A lack of decent work opportunities for adults can push children into the workforce to supplement family income.
- Lack of Awareness: Many are unaware of the long-term negative consequences of child labour on a child's development and future.
3. How does child labour negatively impact a child's development and society as a whole?
Child labour has severe and long-lasting negative effects. For the child, it leads to the loss of education, physical and mental health problems due to hazardous work conditions, and psychological trauma. For society, it perpetuates a cycle of poverty, as uneducated children grow into unskilled adults who cannot earn a decent living. This, in turn, increases illiteracy rates, hinders economic growth, and leads to an underdeveloped nation.
4. What are the key provisions of the Child Labour Act in India?
The primary legislation is the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, which was amended in 2016. Its key features include a complete prohibition on the employment of children below 14 years in all occupations and processes. It also prohibits the employment of adolescents (14 to 18 years) in hazardous occupations and processes. The act allows for child participation in family enterprises and the audio-visual entertainment industry, but with strict regulations to ensure it does not interfere with their schooling.
5. What is the fundamental difference between 'child labour' and 'child work'?
It is important to understand that not all work done by children is classified as child labour. 'Child work' often refers to light, non-hazardous tasks that do not harm a child's health or development and do not interfere with their education, such as helping parents with household chores or in a family business after school. In contrast, 'child labour' is exploitative and harmful work that compromises a child's physical, mental, or social development and denies them their right to education and a normal childhood.
6. How does the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, help in the fight against child labour?
The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 is a powerful tool against child labour. By making education a fundamental right for every child between the ages of 6 and 14, it creates a legal obligation for the state to ensure that every child is in school. When children are in school, they are automatically out of the labour force. The RTE Act directly tackles one of the root causes of child labour—the lack of access to education—by ensuring children have a protected space for learning and development.
7. Why is poverty often called the root cause of child labour, and what are some effective solutions?
Poverty is the root cause because it creates a desperate situation where a child's income becomes essential for the family's survival. This creates a vicious cycle: a child is sent to work, misses out on education, and grows up to be an unskilled adult with low earning potential, who then might also send their own children to work. To break this cycle, solutions must address poverty directly, such as providing decent employment for adults, ensuring access to social security schemes, promoting financial inclusion for poor families, and creating income-generating opportunities for communities.
8. What practical role can students play in raising awareness to end child labour?
Students can be powerful advocates for change. They can:
- Organise awareness campaigns in their schools and communities through posters, street plays, and presentations.
- Participate in debates and speech competitions to educate others on the issue.
- Refuse to employ or support businesses that are known to use child labour.
- Report instances of child labour to authorities or child welfare organisations like CHILDLINE (1098).
- Support NGOs working to educate and rehabilitate former child labourers.
9. How can one structure a compelling speech on child labour for a school activity?
To deliver a powerful speech, follow a clear structure:
- Introduction: Start with a shocking statistic, a rhetorical question, or a powerful quote to grab the audience's attention. Clearly state your topic.
- Body Paragraph 1 - The Problem: Define child labour and explain its severity and prevalence in India.
- Body Paragraph 2 - Causes & Consequences: Discuss the root causes like poverty and lack of education, and explain the devastating impact on children and society.
- Body Paragraph 3 - The Solution: Talk about the legal frameworks (like the Child Labour Act) and the crucial role of education (RTE Act). Suggest what we can do as a society and as individuals.
- Conclusion: Summarise your main points and end with a strong, memorable call to action, urging everyone to speak up and contribute to ending this exploitation.
