Kailash Satyarthi: Advocate Against Child Labor and Nobel Laureate

Kailash Satyarthi: A Champion of Children's Rights and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate

Early Life and Inspiration

Kailash Satyarthi, born on January 11, 1954, in Vidisha, India, is a renowned human rights activist who dedicated his life to fighting against child labor and exploitation. His journey began when he saw a fellow schoolboy working as a shoeshine boy instead of attending class on his first day of school. This incident profoundly affected him and sparked his lifelong commitment to defending children's rights.

Founding Bachpan Bachao Andolan

Inspired by the experience, Satyarthi started collecting used books and established a book bank for poor children. Later, he organized a rescue operation to save a 14-year-old girl who was about to be sold to a brothel. As he grew older, he contemplated founding a charity or an orphanage but decided to establish the Save Childhood Movement (Bachpan Bachao Andolan), which aims to abolish bonded labor, child labor, and human trafficking, and promotes education for all children.

Nobel Peace Prize

For his relentless efforts to end child labor and exploitation, Satyarthi received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014, sharing the honor with Malala Yousafzai. The award was granted for their struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education.

Impact on Child Labor Legislation

Through his advocacy, Satyarthi played a crucial role in the passing of the Child Labour Act in 1986 by the Indian government, which prohibits employing children under 14 years old for hazardous work. In addition, he led a global march against child labor in 1998, which contributed to the adoption of Convention No. 182 by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in 1999, aiming to ban the worst forms of child labor.

Current Efforts and Challenges

Despite the progress achieved, there are still 152 million children worldwide involved in forced labor. Satyarthi continues to advocate for universities to become stronger champions for the cause and strives towards freeing children from exploitation so they can attend school and live freely.

In conclusion, Kailash Satyarthi's dedication to children's rights and his impact on ending child labor and exploitation have earned him international recognition, including the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize. His legacy remains significant in shaping policies and raising awareness on the importance of defending children's rights.