EXECUTIVE SUMMARY<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

             This study on domestic child wage labour is based on information collected from all households in wards 4 and 14 of Pokhara, wards 8 and 12 of Butwal and wards 5 and 13 of Siddarthanagar municipalities of west <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Nepal. All domestic child labourers from the study wards were interviewed using structured questionnaire. The study has analysed the incidence and situation of domestic child labour in the study municipalities. The study findings and recommendations are as follows:

Major Findings

a.                   About 5 to 7 percent of urban households employ domestic child wage labour. The estimated number of domestic child labour in Pokhara is about 1600, in Butwal 700 and in Siddharthnagar 600. Both, male and female children equally participate as domestic child labour.

b.                   The overwhelming proportion of domestic child labourers is migrants from rural areas. Almost one-forth of child labour come from Tharu caste (mid and far west terai districts is dominated by Tharus).

c.                   Child labourers are employed with the consent of their parents. Indeed, in majority of cases, parents collected the salary of their children. Poverty and hope for educational opportunities for child are the major reasons for parents to spare their children for work.

d.                   Almost two-fifths of domestic child labourers are not paid any salary. They forgo earnings for schooling facilities, or they work only for food and clothing.

e.                   About half of the domestic child labourers are literate, but only 28 percent in Pokhara and about 10 percent in Butwal and Siddarthanagar each are currently attending schools. There seems to be no systematic difference in proportions of male and female child labour attending schools.

f.                    Majority of domestic child labourers work excessive hours, 14 to 15 hours a day. Their work consists of cleaning, washing, child minding, and in several cases, caring livestock and doing kitchen garden work.

g.                   Though majority of child laborers reported satisfied with work environment and facilities in the work place, almost half of such labourers reported unwillingness to bring another child labour for similar work. Majority of those unwilling stated that they feel isolated and aloof.

Recommendations

             The recommendations of the study are based on two approaches. Firstly, due to the prevailing socio-economic conditions in the society, child labour can not be completely removed from labour market. Secondly, the domestic child labourers are not readily seen, and hence, are not approachable by social workers and activists. There is, thus, an urgent need to evolve mechanism to make them visible and gradually work towards humanizing the labour relationship. The study recommends that the municipalities should require child labour employer to register in the Ward offices. Child Club or Parks should be created where children can gather and socialize. The study also recommends to observe one day in year as child labour day to inculcate awareness about child rights, child labour problems, and “humanizing” labour relationships among the residents of municipalities. The child clubs will go a long way in solving the problems associated with child labour practices by enabling the activists to work with child labourers. Visibility of child labourers will also subtly make the treatment of employers more friendly because of fear of child exposing the maltreatment in the public.