Of the total 7.7 million children in Nepal between 5–17 years an estimated 3.14 million children are working. Of these 1.6 Million children are engaged in child labour even though it is illegal. About three-quarters of them are under the age of 14. Per definition child labour refers to working conditions that harm children in their personal development. Especially children in rural areas drop out of school to financially support their families. Agricultural work, street hawking, mining and construction work are some examples of the mostly seen works. A lot of children are engaged in hazardous work and are exposed to physical and mental risks. Working in private households as domestic workers puts mainly girls at the risk of domestic sexual exploitation (The Himalayan Times).
