2023-06-12 00:00:00
This year, the World Day Against Child Labor takes the theme Social justice for all. end child labor.
However, what happens with child labor is the complete opposite of social justice.
For the first time in 20 years, child labor is on the rise.
160 million children, almost 1 in 10 worldwide, are in child labour.
What’s worse, half of them, 80 million, are in the most dangerous forms of child labor. That is work with a real threat to your physical and mental health.
Child labor rarely happens because the parents are mean or don’t care. No, instead it stems from a lack of social justice.
The antidote to child labor caused by poverty is decent work for adults so that they can support their families and send their children to school, not to work.
Decent work means ending forced labour, creating safe and healthy workplaces, and allowing workers to organize and express their needs.
It means ending discrimination, because child labor often affects marginalized groups.
We must intensify our fight against child labor by supporting greater social justice. If we do, the end of child labor is not only possible, but within reach.
#social #justice #child #labor