Pandemic pushed back efforts in ending child labour: study

A survey across 20 districts on the impact of COVID-19 on children found a rise in child marriages and mobile phone addiction

A study on the impact of COVID-19 on children across Karnataka revealed there has been an uptick in child marriages. During the same period, there was also a rise in children either engaged in agricultural labour or helping their parents at work. These were some of the key findings of a study conducted by the Karnataka Child Rights Observatory (KCRO), which collated responses of focus group discussions across 20 districts — two villages in each district. It also found that supply of supplementary nutrition food, midday meals, and immunisation programmes were largely successful.

The authors noted that while focus groups with adults were not forthcoming on incidents of child marriages, groups of adolescents did report an uptick in these incidents. Of the total respondents, 43% reported an increase in such incidents. In fact, the Government of Karnataka had itself acknowledged, in February 2021, a rise in instances of child marriages during the pandemic.

The same pattern of responses were seen on the question of child labour as well: while the adults denied it, focus groups of adolescents reported a rise. “It seems the pandemic has pushed back most efforts made in ending child labour,” the authors said.