Soroptimist
International UN Representative Yoko Komori Olson attended an NGO briefing on child labour earlier this month. She reports back on behalf of
Soroptimist International.
In 2002, the
International Labour Organisation (ILO) launched the World Day against Child
Labour (June 12th) to focus world attention on the urgent need to
eradicate child labour. This year, under the theme, “Human Rights
and Social Justice… Let’s End Child Labour”, the Day will focus on the right of
all children to be protected from child labour as well as from other violations
of fundamental human rights. According to the ILO, the term “child
labour” is often defined as “work that deprives children of their childhood,
their potential and their dignity, and which is harmful to physical and mental
development”. It also includes work which is socially or morally
dangerous to children and deprives them of the opportunity to attend school.
Whether a
particular form of “work” can be called “child labour” is dependent upon the
child’s age, the type and hours of work performed, and the conditions under
which it takes place. ILO’s most recent global estimate indicates that there
are currently 215 million boys and girls throughout the world engaged in
work that deprives them of adequate education, health, leisure and basic
freedoms. Of these children, more than half are exposed to the worst
forms of child labour, often causing long term damage to their lives. It
includes work in hazardous environments, slavery, or other forms of forced
labour as well as illicit activities such as drug trafficking and prostitution.
New estimates released on 1 June showed that some 5 million
children are caught in forced labour, which includes conditions such as
commercial sexual exploitation and debt bondage – and this is thought to be an underestimate.
This
Briefing examined the challenges in detecting child labour as well as the ways
in which child labour acts an impediment to children’s rights and as a barrier
to development. It also looked at the role of employers in the global fight
against child labour.
Amongst
the most important discussion points was the issue of education. Globally, the
minimum age for formal employment, and thus the age at which children can leave
formal education varies between age 14 and 16.
Convention No.138 concerns the minimum age for admission to be employment:
73 Member
States in the UN –Minimum age set as 15
41 Member
States in the UN –Minimum age set as 16
49 Member States in the UN –Minimum age set as 14
SI strongly supports a minimum children’s employment
age, and agreed with the panel that this should not be less than 15 years.
Amid growing concerns over the impact of the economic downturn, the
International Labour Office (ILO) has warned that efforts to eliminate
the worst forms of child labour are slowing down and called for a
“re-energized” global campaign to end the practice.
Find out the International Labour Organisation, and their work to eliminate child labour here.
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