Working children's unions and organizations are becoming players on the global stage, thanks to an emerging paradigm shift that encourages children's participation in decision making. Prior to this shift, children had no voice. Child protection was viewed through adult eyes, which regarded the child as vulnerable and dependent.
This month, Changemakers highlights a new direction in advocacy for child laborers, and the conditions from which it arises, with a photo essay (right) depicting activities of Bihma Sangha, an independent union of working children that was organized for and by working children. Located in the state of Karnataka in southwestern India, Bihma Sangha was launched with support from a voluntary agency called The Concerned for Working Children (CWC).
CWC's strategy has been to respond to children as de facto workers. Inspired by the idea of a society free from exploitation, it has employed and adapted the same empowering approach with children that it applied to adult workers, encouraging children to discuss their lives, identify problems and formulate lines of action. 1
This photo essay was produced by photojournalist Janet Jarman, who spent three days with CWC. For more information about Bihma Sangha and CWC, see the November 1999 Changemakers Journal article profiling CWC co-founder Damodar Acharya.
