Abstract:
This thesis aims to explore the way in which variables of discrimination along caste, gender, and religious lines shape child labour in Kanpur, India. Exploring the relationships among forms of discrimination and child labour is particularly important, considering the vast disparities in wealth, health, education, and wellbeing, which characterise India along caste, gender, and religious lines. Therefore, the goal of this investigation is to demonstrate the dynamic and complex ways in which caste, religious, and gender discrimination intersect both in the lived experiences of individuals, and through the broader institutional structures in their lives, to shape child labour. In light of this exploration, this study seeks to understand the relationships among forms of discrimination, child labour, and development practise. These objectives were accomplished using a case study of four areas in Ward No.2 of the slums in Kanpur, India. These areas are four of six areas targeted by World Vision India through its Kanpur Child Labour Project. Through this case study, this thesis argues that understanding and addressing discrimination and exploitation in the lives of child labourers and their families is essential to combating child labour. In addition, it calls for development practitioners to apply intersectional frameworks to development practice in child labour projects. I argue that an intersectional approach will assist Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to address the underlying forms of discrimination and corruption limiting opportunities in the lives of child labourers and their families. By understanding the relationships among discrimination, child labour, and development practice, development practitioners and scholars will gain a deeper understanding of the way intersectional discrimination shapes child labour, and will be better informed to address the issue of child labour in the field.