Practice of child labor around the world still continues to persist. An estimate of 160 million children worldwide are involved in child labor, according to a 2021 International Labour Organization report based on data collected before pandemic-induced school closures.
Due to rise in poverty and economic globalisation, these children are forced into such practices by their parents to run their households. To end this, World Day Against Child Labor is observed each year on June 12. Here are a few tips for helping end child labor:
-
Spread awareness
Parental understanding of the dangers of child labour can help prevent forced labour of children. Due to parents’ lack of understanding, child traffickers prey on youngsters, and many trafficked children wind up working as minors.
Communities that are aware can better understand and respond to the problems that children face. Awareness also assures that communities take advantage of chances for growth, education and job, resulting in a more socially and economically developed society with fewer children suffering.
NGOs educate communities about the importance of children’s rights. NGOs also provide money, educational resources, and information services, all with the goal of assisting children and their communities in moving forward.
-
Support NGOs who fight for children rights
NGOs focuses on new lives of children to provide them with quality education and offer immediate aid to the victims of child labor. Certified organisations and NGOs must continue to play a role in preventing and resolving child labour. They should encourage policy change and help families and communities.
Long-term societal change necessitates policymaking, and campaigning for better laws necessitates articulating how change might be beneficial. NGOs do research and present information about exploited children, as well as rescuing children who were victims of child trafficking.
-
Educate more children
Taking children out of child labour does not guarantee that they will attend school. Because schooling can be costly or of poor quality, some parents believe that sending their children to work is the best option.
Both large and small businesses can help raise awareness about the value of education in their workplaces, communities, industries, or sectors and my not hiring minors as labours. Organisations who work for children rights must take initiatives to boost children’s enrolment in school.
-
Discourage child employment in homes, factories etc
Developing countries openly exploit child labour in fields like retail, hospitality, and menial labour. To stop this, NGOs now educate people about reporting cases of child labour in companies and households, as well as sensitise trade organisations to prevent this social evil.
It is our social responsibility to not hire underage workers. We should sponsor their education if we can afford to do so. Consumers must also play a role, insisting that firms pay farmers a higher price for their products. So that they don’t force their children to work for household income.
-
Support fair trade
If a good quality product is low-priced than it should be, it means the manufacturer has hired minor workers who are underpaid and exploited to work for extra hours without any remuneration. Contact retail stores, manufacturers and importers to inquire about the sources or origins of their items politely. Tell them you want to buy things that aren’t made with child labour. Offer them ethical products and services to sell instead.
Whenever feasible, buy fair trade and sweatshop-free products. When you can’t afford new products, buy secondhand. To verify that you’re supporting excellent practises that don’t involve child labour, look for certified fair trade labels such as Fair Trade Certified and the Goodweave label.
