World Day against Child Labour

World Day against Child Labour is marked yearly on 12th June. It was first launched in 2002 by the International Labour Organisation (ILO). ILO is a United Nations Agency that works toward establishing International Standards and social, economic justice. It was founded 100 years ago in 1919. 

The objective of World Day against child labour is to prevent child labour, provide education and basic amenities to those children that are victims of child labour.

World Day against Child Labour 2020 will be conducted as a virtual campaign. It is being organised jointly with the Global March Against Child Labour and the International Partnership for Cooperation on Child Labour in Agriculture (IPCCLA). It will focus on the impact of the pandemic COVID-19 crisis on child labour.

On 12th June every year, Governments, organisations and individuals come together to discuss the predicaments of child labour and devise measures needed to eliminate it.

The word ‘child labour’ refers to the work carried out by children under 18 years of age that deprives them of their basic right to education and childhood freedom. Child labour work is harmful to their mental and physical health. Children are employed to work in Agriculture, Construction, Domestic Help, Manufacturing, Mining etc. and it is quite exhausting and laborious.

Not all work done by the children is considered as child labour. Children helping their parents in household chores, assisting in the family business and earning pocket money beyond school hours/during holidays cannot be classified as child labourers. Moreover, these types of work help in the overall personality development of a child.

Did you know?

• As per the International Labour Organisation’s report, there are around 152 million children employed as child labour. Seventy-two million of them are in hazardous work.
• Almost half of the estimated child labour is present in Africa.
• Among 152 million children, 64 million are girls, and 88 million are boys.