Research Abstracts on Child Labour Women Labour - Nipccd

Girl Child Labour
Sinha, Shantha. (2004).
From girl child labour to students in formal school : reallocation of work in families.
Secundrabad : M. Venkatarangaiya Foundation. 15 p.
Key Words : 1.CHILD LABOUR 2.GIRL CHILD LABOUR 3.GIRL CHILD 4.HOUSEHOLD ACTIVITY
5.ROLE OF GIRLS IN HOUSEHOLD 6.GIRLS EDUCATION.
Abstract : For girls in rural areas, working is a widely accepted way of life from the age of
5 years. They support their mothers by doing outdoor work, look after their siblings, and
they also work in stone and lime quarries, where they carry head loads of earth and rubble
from pits at least 50 feet deep. Very few girls have spare time for play or school. This
study was conducted in Rangareddy district of Andhra Pradesh. Nearly 1000 eligible girls
aged 8-15 years from 225 families were contacted. The average family size was six, and
literacy rate among the population was 50%. Only 20% had education up to primary level,
and only 2% had accessed college education. About 90% children aged 5-14 years were in
school and the remaining were engaged in one or the other form of labour. Girls also took
care of animals after they came home from grazing, and if the girls went to school, animals
were sold because no family member was available to look after them. Participation of girls
in agricultural work was 20%, and a few went for wage work on holidays to supplement the
family income. The MV Foundation programme aimed at universalizing education among girls
and made efforts to encourage families to send girls to school. The main activities girls
were engaged in were fetching water, washing clothes, going to the market, delivering food,
fetching firewood, cleaning the house and front yard, cleaning utensils, child care, house
security and cooking. A significant part of the burden of the work done by girls subsequent
to their enrolment was done by the female members of the family, especially the mother.
Male members took up outside activities, but with the majority of boys in schools, the work
was initially transferred to girls, and now it went back to adult male members. It was found
that sibling care was not an issue as this work was not reallocated. The current study
indicated the elaborate arrangements made by family members to retain their children in
schools. The study also indicated that in order to withdraw girls from work, the mother has
to be strongly motivated since she is the one who has to bear the brunt of the withdrawal
of the girl child from work.
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<strong>Research</strong> <strong>Abstracts</strong> on Child Labour, Labour and Women Labour 1998 - 2009