Bridge To Bhutan

…For Sustainable Bhutan
Subscribe

Children overworked

December 12, 2009 By: Bridge To Bhutan Category: Economy, Rural Development, Sustainable Development, Youth

Child workers work far beyond the time and day limits set by the [Bhutan's] Labour and Employment Act, according to a study conducted by National Commission for Women and Children (NCWC).

The child labour study, which was conducted by sampling 650 child labourers between 6 and 14 years of age from six dzongkhags – two each from three regions – in the country, found that 37 percent of the children worked between eight and a half hours to 12 hours, and 20 percent worked for more than 12 hours a day. Eighty-nine percent of them started work before 8 am. (more…)

Possibly Related Posts:


Tags: , ,

No Comments →

Microfinance policy crucial to alleviate poverty

November 05, 2009 By: Bridge To Bhutan Category: Agriculture, Economy, Gross National Happiness, Rural Development, Sustainable Development

Rural credit is crucial in improving lives in the farm

Bhutan needs to adopt a national policy on micro finance. This was the message at a seminar on creating a suitable environment and regulatory framework for micro financing yesterday.

“There is no national policy at the moment,” said Dr Pema Choephyel, a BDFCL agriculture specialist who spoke at the seminar. With a national policy, Dr Pema told Kuensel, rural poverty alleviation would become more effective and faster. “We’ll be able to focus and target groups critically in need of credits,” he said, “It would also steer us in the right direction on how micro financing actually should be instituted according to international standards.”

More than 20 percent of Bhutan’s population live on less than US$ 1 a day, the threshold considered necessary to maintain an adequate standard of living. The government plans to reduce this poverty rate to less than 15 percent by 2013. (more…)

Possibly Related Posts:


Tags: , , , , ,

Comment (1)