Nutritional status of school age girls working in different handicraft centres of Srinagar City.

Children are employed in different industries throughout the world. In Kashmir they work mostly in proliferating handicraft centres in both the public and private sectors such as carpet weaving, shawl making, wood carving, and embroidery. They are compelled to work in unhygienic conditions in propped up squatting positions for a nominal stipend, thus tempting young school age girls to join these centres at the cost of their education because of poverty, ignorance, illiteracy of parents, and less social desire for female education. Exploitation of young girls as manual workers, a common feature in this part of the country, makes them vulnerable to ill health because of increased demands of food, nutrition, and exercise. They are subject to great stresses and strains because oflong working hours, unhealthy working environment, lack of health care facilities, and faulty postures that affect their growth and development whereas girls attending school enjoy all facilities, including recreational and medical. Many studies of ill health and nutritional status of schoolchildren are available but there is practically none on the nutritional status of working school age girls, especially from this part of the country.