KATHMANDU: An interaction was organised in the capital on Sunday on the increasing number of child labourers in the country in the run-up to the Eighth World Day against Child Labour, with a slogan of ‘Give Girls a Chance: End Child Labour’, slated for June 12.

Speakers at the interaction viewed that girl child workers were more vulnerable to all sorts of abuses, misbehaviour and torture compared to the boys.

Yuvaraj Ghimire, programme coordinator of CWISH, said they were working to end all kinds of discrimination against child labourers, especially girls. He said they were focused to raise the living standard and condition of the children working as labourers, as they are living in miserable and vulnerable conditions.

Ghimire said that children were forced to work as labourers due to the poor economic condition of the country as well as the social, cultural, racial and gender discrimination. He added that family violence and lack of proper education were also the major causes of child labour. “Child workers are increasing as concerned authorities are not addressing the key issue of child labour,” he added.

Milan Dharel, executive director of CWISH said girl child workers were not only forced to tolerate physical and mental torture but also face sexual abuse at their work places.

Vice president of World Education Cheese Kumar Shrestha said education was the key to end child labour as well as every kind of discrimination in the country. He said girls were more deprived of education due to several factors.