More than half of the world’s child labor workforce today is concentrated in Asia, according to two international agencies. And the majority of these are children of Dalits, the “Untouchables” of society.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says that of the estimated 246 million children engaged in child labor worldwide, 127.3 million are located in the Asia-Pacific region. And while statistics from the International Labour Organisation are slightly lower, they still show the Asia region with more than 50 percent of 218 million—122 million children.
Due to the extreme poverty of their families, most of these children are forced to work weaving carpets, making bricks, herding cattle, assembling firecrackers—often in dangerous and toxic environments. And, says Gospel for Asia President K.P. Yohannan, their poverty often results from their position in society.
“The majority of these child laborers in Asia come from Dalit families,” he comments. “The Hindu religion tells them they are worth less than animals, and they are treated as such.
“Dalit men and women work hard, but barely receive anything for their labor. And that is why they must often depend on their children to supplement their income, if they are going to have food on the table.”
Nearly 300 million Dalits live in the nation of India. They are forced to live on the fringes of society and denied basic human rights such as education and freedom of worship.
The majority of Gospel for Asia’s 16,000-plus missionaries work among the Dalits distributing Gospel literature, transmitting radio broadcasts and helping educate their children through GFA’s Bridge of Hope outreach program. For more information about how Dalits are finding hope in Christ, click here.
