Deciphering Innocence: A Tale of Socio-economic Conditions of Child Labour in Odisha

Abstract

This study mainly focuses on the current socio-economic condition of those people who were child labor in their childhood. In this study, economic indicators are income and employment status. On the other hand, level of education, health status and role in case of decision making in the society are studied as social indicators. The main reason which gives rise to child labour is widespread unemployment and underemployment among the adult poor strata of the population, inter alia, due to sharp growth of population. Large families with low income and often lack of educational, illiteracy and ignorance of parents about the importance of education as well as about the impact of labour on the health of their children are some of the reasons which breed child labour. The objective of the present study was to study the socio-economic condition of families whose children are engage in child labour in Rourkela. The child labourers were interviewed in their workplaces using a predesigned and pre-tested questionnaire in 2021. Data were collected and analyzed a total of 60 child labourers participated in the study. This study finds that person who was not child worker in early stage of his/her life have higher probability to enjoy better socio-economic condition than that of person who worked as child worker in past. In fact, it identifies that a children who is working as a child worker has 61% probability to have low standard of living in his/her future life.