You are currently viewing The Girl Child/ domestic labour: the killer of hidden potential

The Girl Child/ domestic labour: the killer of hidden potential

 

 

Who is a girl Child?

The Girl Child: The girl-child is a biological female offspring from birth to eighteen (18) years of age.This is the age before one becomes a young adult. This period covers the crèche, nursery or early childhood (0-5 years), primary (6-12 years) and secondary school (12-18 years).

During this period, the young child is totally under the care of the adult who may be her parents or guardians and older siblings. It is made up of infancy, childhood, early and late adolescence stages of development.

During this period, the child is malleable, builds and develops her personality and character. She is very dependent on the significant others, those on whom she models her behaviour, through observation, repetition and imitation. Her physical, mental, social, spiritual and emotional developments start and progress to get to the peak at the young adult stage.

 

What is domestic labour?

Domestic Labor can be defined as the numerous tasks associated with maintaining a household.

Examples of domestic labour are but not limited to the following:

Bathing children.

Changing diapers (also called nappies).

Cleaning the bathroom.

Preparing meals.

Shopping for groceries.

Taking out the trash.

Child domestic work  is a general reference to children’s (girls and boys) work in the domestic work sector or in the home of a third party or employer. This general concept encapsulates both permissible as well as non permissible situations.

What does constitute child labour in domestic work?

Child labour in domestic work refers to situations where domestic work is performed by children below the relevant minimum age (for light work, full-time non-hazardous work), in hazardous conditions or in a slavery-like situation.

This implies that it is possible that one practices Child labour In the name of domestic work

When a particular task or duty assigned to a child beyond the capability of that child it could be Child labour

This means parents of children can actually be guilty of child labour

You may want to ask that, Do household chores performed by children in their own homes constitute child domestic work?

Household chores undertaken by children in their own homes, in reasonable conditions, and under the supervision of those close to them are an integral part of family life and of growing up, therefore something positive.

However, in some cases, there might be concerns over certain situations where these workloads might interfere with the children’s education or be excessive, in which case they might be tantamount to child labour.

Children doing household chores in their own home, and children in domestic work (in a third party household) might perform similar tasks. However, in the first case, the employment element is missing; therefore, we should avoid referring to those situations as domestic work.

How does all that we have said above relate specifically to the girl Child that is central to our topic.

You will all agree with me that in this part of the world, when you think of the domestic work/labour, it is the girl Child that readily comes to mind

You will also agree with me that, girl child domestic work is  a “hidden” phenomenon that is so difficult to tackle?

This phenomenon is often hidden and hard to tackle because of its links to social and cultural patterns. In many countries child domestic work is not only accepted socially and culturally, but is also regarded in a positive light as a protected and non-stigmatised type of work and preferred to others forms of employment – especially for girls. The perpetuation of traditional female roles and responsibilities, within and outside the household, as well as the perception of domestic service as part of a woman’s “apprenticeship” for adulthood and marriage, also contribute to the persistence of child domestic work as a form of child labour.

What are the root causes of this phenomenon?

“Factors that Endangers the girls Child, are as follows :

  1. Poverty and its feminization, social exclusion.
  1. Lack of education, gender and ethnic discrimination.
  1. Violence suffered by children in their own homes,
  2. Displacement, rural-urban migration and the loss of parents due to conflict and/or disease.

Enabling environment for girl child vulnerability to domestic labour are increasing social and economic disparities, debt bondage, in addition to the perception that the employer is simply an extended family and therefore offers a protected environment for the child, the increasing need for the women of the household to have a domestic “replacement” who enables more and more women to enter the labour market, and the illusion that domestic service gives child workers an opportunity for education.

It is saddening that alot of our girls are victims of trafficking for domestic labour under the false pretenses that they will be enrolled in schools.

The implications of domestic labour on the girl Child:

-Loss of self esteem

-Loss of confidence

  • increase rate of girl child dropping out of school

Girl Child trapped in domestic work from a very young age are likely to have had no or insufficient access to education. At the same time, child domestic workers above the legal minimum age have a reduced chance of continuing with education. Convention No. 189 calls on member States to take measures to ensure that work performed by domestic workers under the age of 18 and above the minimum age of employment does not deprive them of compulsory education, or interfere with opportunities to participate in further education or vocational training.

We must begin to call for actions for the protection of children workers/workforce, as economic realities of our current times has forced children particularly the girls to become the bread winners of their homes.

What is the solution to end girl child labour in domestic work and to protect young workers of legal working age?

There is no magic recipe; the problems posed by child labour in domestic work and to protect young workers of legal working age require a complementary approach in different domains and at different levels, including:

  1. Developing statistical visibility and further enhancing knowledge on child domestic work to better capture child labour and youth employment in domestic work;
  2. Awareness-raising and advocacy to transform social attitudes and to address the widespread acceptance of child labour in domestic work and the beliefs amongst employers and parents that these situations represent a protective and healthy environment for children – especially girls; promoting the ratification and implementation of the child labour Conventions No.138, No. 182 and of Convention No.189 concerning decent work for domestic workers; taking legislative and policy action to end child labour and to protect young workers in domestic work:
  1. Setting a clear minimum age for domestic workers not lower than that established for workers generally;
  2. identifying types of hazardous domestic work for children; regulating the working and living conditions of domestic workers, with special attention to the needs of young domestic workers. This should include strict limits on hours of work, the prohibition of night work, restrictions on work that is excessively demanding, and monitoring mechanisms on working and living conditions
  1. Adoption of appropriate penalties; provision of complaint mechanisms; facilitation of access to justice and legal redress
  2. Effective labour inspection that is authorized by law to enter premises in order to enforce provisions applicable to domestic work.
  3. Paying attention to child migrants vulnerability to abusive working conditions in domestic work
  4. formalizing the employment relationship in domestic work through written contracts / model employment contracts
  5. enhancing the role of the social partners and extending freedom of association and effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining in domestic work, including the recognition to young domestic workers of legal working of the right to join or form unions
  6. enlisting the support of employers of domestic workers
  7. providing support to child domestic workers against child labour and for decent youth employment;
  8. Supporting the worldwide movement against child labour
  9. engaging with child domestic workers as agents for change;
  10. Joining forces to promote decent work for all: Better together.

Well when parents are the culprits we educate them on the provisions of the law

When it is a third party we prosecute, when a case of Trafficking is established we transfer to NAPTIP

At this point may I conclude by saying that we should all work together to protect the girl Child at all levels from all forms of abuse. It only then we can begin to make significant Developmental progress in our nation

Who is a girl Child?

The Girl Child: The girl-child is a biological female offspring from birth to eighteen (18) years of age.This is the age before one becomes a young adult. This period covers the crèche, nursery or early childhood (0-5 years), primary (6-12 years) and secondary school (12-18 years).

During this period, the young child is totally under the care of the adult who may be her parents or guardians and older siblings. It is made up of infancy, childhood, early and late adolescence stages of development.

During this period, the child is malleable, builds and develops her personality and character. She is very dependent on the significant others, those on whom she models her behaviour, through observation, repetition and imitation. Her physical, mental, social, spiritual and emotional developments start and progress to get to the peak at the young adult stage.

What is domestic labour?

Domestic Labor can be defined as the numerous tasks associated with maintaining a household.

Examples of domestic labour are but not limited to the following:

Bathing children.

Changing diapers (also called nappies).

Cleaning the bathroom.

Preparing meals.

Shopping for groceries.

Taking out the trash.

Child domestic work  is a general reference to children’s (girls and boys) work in the domestic work sector or in the home of a third party or employer. This general concept encapsulates both permissible as well as non permissible situations.

What does constitute child labour in domestic work?

Child labour in domestic work refers to situations where domestic work is performed by children below the relevant minimum age (for light work, full-time non-hazardous work), in hazardous conditions or in a slavery-like situation.

This implies that it is possible that one practices Child labour In the name of domestic work

When a particular task or duty assigned to a child beyond the capability of that child it could be Child labour

This means parents of children can actually be guilty of child labour

You may want to ask that, Do household chores performed by children in their own homes constitute child domestic work?

Household chores undertaken by children in their own homes, in reasonable conditions, and under the supervision of those close to them are an integral part of family life and of growing up, therefore something positive.

However, in some cases, there might be concerns over certain situations where these workloads might interfere with the children’s education or be excessive, in which case they might be tantamount to child labour.

Children doing household chores in their own home, and children in domestic work (in a third party household) might perform similar tasks. However, in the first case, the employment element is missing; therefore, we should avoid referring to those situations as domestic work.

How does all that we have said above relate specifically to the girl Child that is central to our topic.

You will all agree with me that in this part of the world, when you think of the domestic work/labour, it is the girl Child that readily comes to mind

You will also agree with me that, girl child domestic work is  a “hidden” phenomenon that is so difficult to tackle?

This phenomenon is often hidden and hard to tackle because of its links to social and cultural patterns. In many countries child domestic work is not only accepted socially and culturally, but is also regarded in a positive light as a protected and non-stigmatised type of work and preferred to others forms of employment – especially for girls. The perpetuation of traditional female roles and responsibilities, within and outside the household, as well as the perception of domestic service as part of a woman’s “apprenticeship” for adulthood and marriage, also contribute to the persistence of child domestic work as a form of child labour.

What are the root causes of this phenomenon?

“Factors that Endangers the girls Child, are as follows:

  1. Poverty and its feminization,

social exclusion,

  1. Lack of education,

gender and ethnic discrimination,

  1. Violence suffered by children in their own homes,
  2. Displacement, rural-urban migration and the loss of parents due to conflict and/or disease.

Enabling environment for girl child vulnerability to domestic labour are increasing social and economic disparities, debt bondage, in addition to the perception that the employer is simply an extended family and therefore offers a protected environment for the child, the increasing need for the women of the household to have a domestic “replacement” who enables more and more women to enter the labour market, and the illusion that domestic service gives child workers an opportunity for education.

It is saddening that alot of our girls are victims of trafficking for domestic labour under the false pretenses that they will be enrolled in schools.

The implications of domestic labour on the girl Child:

-Loss of self esteem

-Loss of confidence

  • increase rate of girl child dropping out of school

Girl Child trapped in domestic work from a very young age are likely to have had no or insufficient access to education. At the same time, child domestic workers above the legal minimum age have a reduced chance of continuing with education. Convention No. 189 calls on member States to take measures to ensure that work performed by domestic workers under the age of 18 and above the minimum age of employment does not deprive them of compulsory education, or interfere with opportunities to participate in further education or

vocational training.

We must begin to call for actions for the protection of children workers/workforce, as economic realities of our current times has forced children particularly the girls to become the bread winners of their homes.

What is the solution to end girl child labour in domestic work and to protect young workers of legal working age?

 

There is no magic recipe; the problems posed by child labour in domestic work and to protect young workers of legal working age require a complementary approach in different domains and at different levels, including:

  1. Developing statistical visibility and further enhancing knowledge on child domestic work to better capture child labour and youth employment in domestic work;
  2. Awareness-raising and advocacy to transform social attitudes and to address the widespread acceptance of child labour in domestic work and the beliefs amongst employers and parents that these situations represent a protective and healthy environment for children – especially girls;

promoting the ratification and implementation of the child labour Conventions No.138, No. 182 and of Convention No.189 concerning decent work for domestic workers;

taking legislative and policy action to end child labour and to protect young workers in domestic work:

  1. Setting a clear minimum age for domestic workers not lower than that established for workers generally;
  2. identifying types of hazardous domestic work for children; 963.*-regulating the working and living conditions of domestic workers, with special attention to the needs of young domestic workers. This should include strict limits on hours of work, the prohibition of night work, restrictions on work that is excessively demanding, and monitoring mechanisms on working and living conditions
  1. Adoption of appropriate penalties; provision of complaint mechanisms; facilitation of access to justice and legal redress
  1. Effective labour inspection that is authorized by law to enter premises in order to enforce provisions applicable to domestic work.
  2. Paying attention to child migrants vulnerability to abusive working conditions in domestic work
  3. formalizing the employment relationship in domestic work through written contracts / model employment contracts
  4. enhancing the role of the social partners and extending freedom of association and effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining in domestic work, including the recognition to young domestic workers of legal working of the right to join or form unions
  5. enlisting the support of employers of domestic workers
  6. providing support to child domestic workers against child labour and for decent youth employment;
  7. Supporting the worldwide movement against child labour
  8. engaging with child domestic workers as agents for change;
  9. Joining forces to promote decent work for all: Better together.

Well when parents are the culprits we educate them on the provisions of the law

When it is a third party we prosecute, when a case of Trafficking is established we transfer to NAPTIP

At this point may I conclude by saying that we should all work together to protect the girl Child at all levels from all forms of abuse. It only then we can begin to make significant Developmental progress in our nation

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.