Child Equity Atlas - BIDS

Child Worker and the Sectors of Employment
4.1.3 It is noteworthy that while about one in
sixteen children (10-14 years old) are involved in
work nationally, it is as high as one in six in Dhaka,
more than three times the national average. Data
show that more than two in five children (43.8 per
cent) are involved in work in one of the wards of
Dhaka City Corporation. In Dhaka city, the higher
involvement of children in the workforce is mainly
due to very high engagement of young girls in
work. The comparison of estimates of working
children shows that while nationally 6 per cent (9.0
per cent boys and 2.0 per cent girls) children are
working- in Dhaka the rate is 17.4 per cent (18.1
per cent boys and 16.6 per cent girls). Disparities
also exist by administrative units and for boys and
girls. While the proportion of real child worker
ranges from 1.7 per cent to 26.5 per cent, for boys
it ranges from 3 to 30 per cent, and for girls it
ranges from 0.1 per cent to 27 per cent, a factor of
270 times differences indicating a high degree of
disparity.
4.1.4 However, there are only two upazilas in
Bandarban where the proportion of girl child
worker is higher than that of working boys. In
Dhaka City Corporation, there are as many as 40
wards where the proportion of girl child workers
is higher than that of boy child. In 52 wards there
are more male child workers and in 26 wards the
difference is more than 10 per cent, the highest
rate of male child worker is 60 per cent.
4.1.5 Wards, where the proportion of girl child
workers exceeds that of the boys are the locations
that are clearly related to garment industries as
well as opportunities for household or domestic
work. In the wards where the proportion of
boy child workers exceeds that of the girls, such
locations related to other types of industry (e.g.
small engineering in old town).
4.1.6 Nationally the pattern of distribution of
real child worker is similar to the configuration
revealed in the pockets of deprivation (discussed
in chapter seven), but is limited to only half of the
upazilas. In the Northwest part of the country the
proportion of child worker is low. Since children
work for economic gains, it is largely an urban
phenomenon, being more prevalent in cities like
Dhaka and other urban areas, thus keeping the
overall national correlation between deprivation
and real child labour at a low level.
4.1.7 In contrast to the involvement of one in
sixteen children in real work at the national level,
in three upazilas - Thanchi, Alikadam and Ramu -
the proportion is one in five. As can be seen later,
Alikadam is also one of the most deprived upazilas.
4.2 Sectors of Employment
4.2.1 Between different sectors of employment,
almost equal proportion of child workers - twofifths
each - are engaged in agriculture and the
service sectors, the secondary sector of industry
engaging one-fifth of the real child workers. In
agriculture, proportion of working boys is much
higher than that of the girl child workers (45
per cent as against 15.6 per cent), whereas, the
proportions of girl child workers are higher than
that of the boy child workers in both industry and
service sectors, being 29.1 per cent for girls and
18.2 for boys in industry and 55.3 per cent for girls
and 36.8 per cent for boys in the services sector.
4.2.2 Finally, the situation of real child worker
described in this chapter deserves special
action by public, the private sector, civil society
organizations, communities and families to ensure
compliance with national and international labour
standards and protect the socioeconomic rights of
children.
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