Women and Youths Development Network, a Non Governmental Organisation, has decried the persistent practice of some parents giving out their children as domestic staff or for labour.
The Coordinator of the organisation, Mrs Uwani Umar, who said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Wednesday, in Kano, lamented that in spite of the efforts of the State and Federal Governments to curb the problem, it had persisted due to the attitude of parents.
“Many parents are yet to come to terms with the logic of banning the practice, all they are after is to use their young girls to make money.”
Umar said that when some of them realised that the government was serious about the issue, they changed strategy.
“Before, they had a chain of men and women who were transporting the young women to the cities for labour, but now many parents bring them by themselves,” she said.
According to her, as a result of the practice, many of the young women were exposed to all sorts of social vices, which their parents were aware of, yet they ignored for selfish reasons.
She said that community based organisations should be mobilised to engage in advocating against the issue.
“I am sure with rugged and consistent advocacy to the affected areas and with government support, the issue would be brought to the barest minimum.” She said.
NAN reports that the NGO, Women and Youths Development Network, had been championing the cause of stopping persistent girl child labour in Kano.
Only a week ago, a woman in Kano was arrested by the Police, for the alleged murder of her house help.
It had been estimated that children accounted for 22% of the workforce in Asia, 32% in Africa, 17% in Latin America and 1% in the United States, Canada, Europe and other wealthy nations.
NGOs often say that Children in Nigeria were engaged in the worst form of child labour, particularly as domestic help, most times they are subjected to working long hours, cooking, cleaning, looking after children and the elderly.
Besides being inadequately fed, having poor sleeping quarters with little or no remuneration, some were subjected to verbal and physical abuse, when they are tired and slow or unable to accomplish tasks that were either too hard or heavy for them.
Substantive legislation against child labour is now in place in Nigeria, however, legal enforcement remained its biggest challenge, according to NGOs focusing on the problem. (NAN)
