Our children deserve better

The World Day Against Child Labor was commemorated last June 12.

This year’s theme: "Let’s act on our commitments: End child labor!"

Everyone and the whole world is reminded to join hands together to end child labor globally/locally, soonest, now!

Child labor is work that is inappropriate for a child’s age, physical/mental capacity with devastating impacts on their development and future.

International Labor Organization (ILO) data shows that there are 160 million child laborers (63 million girls and 97 million boys), almost one in 10 of all children worldwide.

Nearly half, about 79 million children, are doing hazardous work that “directly endanger their health/safety/and moral development.”

A June 2021 report by the ILO and UNICEF noted that child labor has increased by 8.4 million in the last four years. Another nine million children are at risk due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. There has been a significant increase in the number of child workers aged five to 11.

Although a net reduction of 94 million children in child labor was reported within the 16-year period from 2000, progress slowed down from 2012-2016, both in the total number of child laborers and those in hazardous work.

By region, Africa ranks highest both in the percentage of children in child labor at 92 million, followed by Asia and the Pacific with 49 million, then in the Americas (8.3 million), Europe/Central Asia (8.3 million), and the Arab States (2.4 million).

The agricultural sector accounts for 70% of all those in child labor (about 112 million children) followed by those in the services (31.4 million) and industry (16.5 million).

About 48% of working children are aged 5-11 years, 28% aged 12–14 years, and, 25% aged15–17 years.

In the Philippines, about 1.37 million working children, with most in agriculture sector and highest in Northern Mindanao, according to the Philippine Department of Child Labor in its 2023 report.

This 2024 marks the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Worst Forms of Child Labor.

How far has the world protected children from worst forms of labor?

Although the Philippines, in 2022, has made moderate advancement to eliminate the worst forms of child labor like the enactment of “the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act (to hold private sector entities responsible for addressing human trafficking) and the Anti-Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children and Anti-Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials Act (which, among other things, punishes perpetrators of online sexual abuse of children and provides penalties for the production/distribution/possession, and provision of access to child sexual abuse or exploitation materials”) and while “government launched a plan to improve the quality and delivery of education, address access gaps, and build resilience of learners,” much still remain to be done.

Children in the Philippines continue to be subject to commercial sexual exploitation and human trafficking. Children also perform dangerous tasks in agriculture and gold mining.

Filipino children aged 15 through 17 are vulnerable to child labor because the minimum age for work of 15 is lower than the compulsory education age of 18.

Social programs also do not sufficiently support child victims of online sexual exploitation, and enforcement of child labor laws remains a challenge throughout the country due to limited personnel and financial resources.

Children deserve to thrive in a sustainable, enabling, and protected environment.

These reminders:

“Children should have pens in their hands, not tools.” (Kailash Satyarthi)

“Every child deserves a childhood free from exploitation and abuse.” (Malala Yousafzai)

“There is no justification for child labor. The child is the future of our nation. Let us allow him to develop physically, mentally, and morally.” Mahatma Gandhi

“There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than how it treats its children.”

PERSPECTIVE

CHERY BALLESCAS

Our children deserve better

The World Day Against Child Labor was commemorated last June 12.

This year’s theme: "Let’s act on our commitments: End child labor!"

Everyone and the whole world is reminded to join hands together to end child labor globally/locally, soonest, now!

Child labor is work that is inappropriate for a child’s age, physical/mental capacity with devastating impacts on their development and future.

International Labor Organization (ILO) data shows that there are 160 million child laborers (63 million girls and 97 million boys), almost one in 10 of all children worldwide.

Nearly half, about 79 million children, are doing hazardous work that “directly endanger their health/safety/and moral development.”

A June 2021 report by the ILO and UNICEF noted that child labor has increased by 8.4 million in the last four years. Another nine million children are at risk due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. There has been a significant increase in the number of child workers aged five to 11.

Although a net reduction of 94 million children in child labor was reported within the 16-year period from 2000, progress slowed down from 2012-2016, both in the total number of child laborers and those in hazardous work.

By region, Africa ranks highest both in the percentage of children in child labor at 92 million, followed by Asia and the Pacific with 49 million, then in the Americas (8.3 million), Europe/Central Asia (8.3 million), and the Arab States (2.4 million).

The agricultural sector accounts for 70% of all those in child labor (about 112 million children) followed by those in the services (31.4 million) and industry (16.5 million).

About 48% of working children are aged 5-11 years, 28% aged 12–14 years, and, 25% aged15–17 years.

In the Philippines, about 1.37 million working children, with most in agriculture sector and highest in Northern Mindanao, according to the Philippine Department of Child Labor in its 2023 report.

This 2024 marks the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Worst Forms of Child Labor.

How far has the world protected children from worst forms of labor?

Although the Philippines, in 2022, has made moderate advancement to eliminate the worst forms of child labor like the enactment of “the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act (to hold private sector entities responsible for addressing human trafficking) and the Anti-Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children and Anti-Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials Act (which, among other things, punishes perpetrators of online sexual abuse of children and provides penalties for the production/distribution/possession, and provision of access to child sexual abuse or exploitation materials”) and while “government launched a plan to improve the quality and delivery of education, address access gaps, and build resilience of learners,” much still remain to be done.

Children in the Philippines continue to be subject to commercial sexual exploitation and human trafficking. Children also perform dangerous tasks in agriculture and gold mining.

Filipino children aged 15 through 17 are vulnerable to child labor because the minimum age for work of 15 is lower than the compulsory education age of 18.

Social programs also do not sufficiently support child victims of online sexual exploitation, and enforcement of child labor laws remains a challenge throughout the country due to limited personnel and financial resources.

Children deserve to thrive in a sustainable, enabling, and protected environment.

These reminders:

“Children should have pens in their hands, not tools.” (Kailash Satyarthi)

“Every child deserves a childhood free from exploitation and abuse.” (Malala Yousafzai)

“There is no justification for child labor. The child is the future of our nation. Let us allow him to develop physically, mentally, and morally.” Mahatma Gandhi

“There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than how it treats its children.” (Nelson Mandela)