Bhubaneswar: After an increase of the child exploitation and abuse cases, the state government took an initiative to collaborate with UNICEF and Aid-at-Action to take a huge leap towards making Odisha child labor-free. The meeting was organized where the Labor Directorate was present in collaboration with UNICEF Odisha and NGO Aid-et-Action.
Highlighting how COVID 19 has pushed more children into labor, Monika Nielsen, Chief UNICEF, Odisha said during the recent times, children have been deeply impacted by the pandemic and its knock-on effects. Schools have remained closed for a very long time and livelihoods have been severely affected, putting a large number of children at risk of being pushed into child labor and contribute earnings for the family to sustain such worst situations.
At the meeting, Neha Naidu, Child Protection Specialist UNICEF sighted that child labor may rise, especially during any epidemic because of family circumstances; children drop out of school and start working. It is also related with child marriage. Everyone needs to come forward and prevent child labor.
Even N Thirumala Naik, Labor Commissioner, added, “Education frees children from labor. When a child gets the opportunity to go to school, a world of opportunities open up for them. We have to work together to help communities understand the value of education and send their children to school and not to work.”
“It is imperative to have a strong convergence across all measures that are taken to protect children. With support from the government and key departments, civil society organizations, the private sector and UNICEF can work together accelerate actions to eliminate child labor in Odisha,” Nielsen said.
Umi Daniel, Director Migration Education, Aid-et-Action mentioned, “Odisha government has been coming forward with number of initiatives to prevent child labor. We need to work more in tandem with industry partners to ensure no child works with or without their parents in labor.”
Brick kiln owners present at the meeting said they were aware of the laws against child labor and were making every relevant effort to send back children. A model code of conduct was discussed at the meeting to further helping the Brick kiln owners to fight child labor.
Senior officers of different departments of the state government also actively participated in the discussion to make Odisha child labor-free
