Child Labor Day: The plight of child laborers in Uganda – DW – 06/13/2025
06/13/2025
June 13, 2025
As the world marks World Day Against Child Labor, Uganda is grappling with millions of children trapped in child labor. Experts say laws protecting children from hazardous labor in sub-Saharan Africa are still poorly enforced and many communities are unaware of available support.
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DW
21 hours ago
- DW
Child Labor Day: The plight of child laborers in Uganda – DW – 06/13/2025
06/13/2025 June 13, 2025 As the world marks World Day Against Child Labor, Uganda is grappling with millions of children trapped in child labor. Experts say laws protecting children from hazardous labor in sub-Saharan Africa are still poorly enforced and many communities are unaware of available support.
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Unicef calls for increased protection for migrant children in Cambodia
PHNOM PENH: In the celebration of the World Day Against Child Labor, the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) in Cambodia on Thursday (June 12) called for increased action to safeguard the rights of children affected by migration. A recent study showed that children who migrate within Cambodia and to neighbouring countries face risks of trafficking, abuse, exploitation, and child labour, among others, said a Unicef press release. "Child labour strips children of their right to a safe and healthy childhood, keeps them out of school, and damages their physical and mental well-being," said Will Parks, Unicef representative to Cambodia. "Children who migrate, whether alone or with family, internally or across borders, are especially vulnerable to these risks," he said. "Without proper documentation, protection, or access to education, migrant children are at a higher risk of exploitative work." Parks said Unicef has been working closely with government authorities and stakeholders to bolster cross-border child protection systems between Cambodia and neighbouring countries to ensure access to essential services. The press release said that over the last decade, Cambodia has taken major steps to protect its children from violence, exploitation, and abuse. Between 2010 and 2021, the proportion of working children dropped from 37 per cent to 17 per cent. "Despite progress, this still represents one in five children in Cambodia who are economically active," the press release said. The recent study found that migration is often driven by poverty and that children who migrate to neighbouring Thailand face heightened risks of child labour, particularly when separated from their families, the press release said. "Children who cross the border illegally are at constant risk of trafficking, abuse, exploitation, and being in conflict with the law," it said. "Many do not attend school as their families depend on their daily income and do not have access to essential services like healthcare." Children engage in work in a variety of settings, including on construction sites and in restaurants, and children below the minimum age engage in child labour situations involving vending, domestic work, garment production, agriculture, seafood processing, fishing, and organised begging, the press release said. "Children with disabilities are among the most vulnerable, as they may be recruited for begging and do not have adequate access to essential services," it added. - Xinhua
Morocco World
2 days ago
- Morocco World
Morocco Pushes for Scalable Global Action to End Child Labor
Rabat – Morocco urged the international community to explore practical, adaptable solutions to eliminate child labor worldwide, drawing on its own progress in tackling the issue. Speaking in Geneva on Wednesday, Younes Sekkouri, Minister of Economic Inclusion, shared Morocco's experience during a high-level meeting held to mark the 2025 World Day Against Child Labor. 'Morocco has taken concrete steps, and we are still moving forward,' Sekkouri said. 'By hosting the sixth global conference on child labor in February 2026, we hope to influence change far beyond our borders.' Morocco has recorded a 55% drop in child labor since 2017. In 2023, around 110,000 children aged 7 to 17 were found to be engaged in economic activity, roughly 1.4% of that age group. The majority of these children, about 60%, worked to support their families, often in rural areas. Although such work may not always fall under formal definitions of child labor, Sekkouri insisted that it should no longer be tolerated. He pointed to several levers behind the country's progress. Chief among them is Morocco's rollout of universal social protection. Today, the program supports around seven million children and looks to remove the economic pressures that drive families to put their children to work. The government has also expanded access to early childhood education. A nationwide push to make preschool available to all children aged four and up has relied on partnerships with civil society groups and a flexible model tailored to local realities. 'Investing in early education gives children a chance to thrive, not work,' Sekkouri said. He also noted the importance of strong governance. Morocco has strengthened its inspection systems, worked closely with the judiciary, and adopted key international conventions and protocols. Despite these gains, Sekkouri acknowledged the deeper challenge of turning successful national models into global solutions. 'We need to understand what allows local strategies to expand and address the problem globally,' he said. 'This is where the international conversation must go.' He called for more multilateral partnerships to support creative, context-sensitive approaches. 'No country can solve this alone,' he added. The event, organized by Morocco's Permanent Mission and the International Labour Organization (ILO), took place alongside the 113th International Labour Conference, running from June 2 to 13 in Geneva. The gathering brought together ministers from Asia, Latin America, and Europe, as well as senior ILO officials and development partners. It also saw the launch of a new joint ILO-UNICEF report offering updated global data on child labor. The findings sparked discussions on how to speed up progress and meet international targets. The ILO, for its part, renewed its call for countries to ratify Convention No. 138 on minimum working age and to fully implement Convention No. 182 on the worst forms of child labor. Tags: child abuseChild LaborMoroccoMorocco child labor
