Parental Absence and Agency: The Household Characteristics of Hazardous Forms of Child Labour in Nepal

Abstract

Using Nepal’s 2014 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, which includes information on children’s working conditions, this paper investigates household factors associated with hazardous child labour. The analysis focuses on children already engaged in work and asks which circumstances are linked to greater exposure to dangerous forms of labour. Children from poorer households face a higher risk of hazardous work. A father’s absence due to death and living without parental care are also associated with increased risk. The results provide evidence on how household circumstances and care arrangements relate to children’s working conditions, helping identify families who may need targeted protection. The study emphasizes that policies to eliminate hazardous child labour should account for poverty and the availability of parental care.