Durban, May 20 (IPS) – Ashley has a lot of work experience. She worked sweaty under the blazing sun on the streets of Guatemala, in the empty fields of farmland and indoors, toiling for hours at the hum of the sewing machine.
Her work résumé may impress some – street traders, farmworkers and seamstresses – but she, like 160 million children around the world, is stuck. in child labor, working desperately to support impoverished families and provide pathways to education.
“For most working children, it is very difficult for us to express ourselves. All working children have different basic needs and most of their parents cannot provide these: pants clothing, health and education. The root cause of child labor is poverty because it makes us children work out of the house, risking our lives to be able to help our families,” she said.
Ashely told delegates at the 5th Global Conference on Elimination of Child Labor in Durban, South Africa.
“In my country and in Latin America, you’ll see every day children posted in parks, by traffic lights, doing any kind of work in terrible conditions.”
Ashley took time off work to share her story and join a small group of teen and child labor survivors to make history, representing children from 10 countries. from around the globe at the conference in Durban, South Africa through Friday. May 20.
Like Ashley, around the world in India, Amar Lala was born into a poor family and worked as a child laborer before being saved by Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthia social reformer who campaigned tirelessly against child labor and in favor of universal education.
“I used to work in the quarry every day, breaking rocks and putting those stones in pots. Every day we were injured but never had a chance to go to the hospital for treatment. I don’t know, and not even my family. Neither is there.” I was the luckiest boy to be helped when the Nobel laureate saw me and saved me. I had the opportunity to study and decided to become a lawyer to represent other children like me. Today, I can proudly say that I am a lawyer standing in court, fighting daily for exploited children and child labor and bondage,” Lala said.
Children affected by child labor, such as Ashley, Kabwe from Kenya, Mary Ann from South Africa and survivors like Lala, now 25, shared their stories before a group of children unanimously launched the Children’s Call to Action, at its first global conference. , ever, includes a platform for the voices of children affected by child labor. The conference featured more than 60 children and young people from different parts of the world, representing Africa, Latin America and Asia. Organizers withhold the children’s full names to protect their identities and personal safety.
Representatives of the International Labor Organization, including Thomas Wissing of the Technical Advisory Cluster, Chairman of the United Nations Commission on the Rights of the Child, Mikiko Otami, SA Minister of Labor and Employment, Thulas Nxesi and others International government, business and other prominent civic leaders were present during the session, whether real or virtual.
In their call to action statement, expressing the expectations of children attending the conference, they note that the conference is being held at a “critical time” when the world is witnessing an increase in the number of children attending the conference. increase in child labor, especially in the African continent. , where 92.2 million children are incarcerated, about 80% work in agriculture.
In a nutshell, the kids say they’re asking for:
- Social protection and providing a safe space for children in the event of an emergency. Governments should allocate funds to support and enrich the development of children, especially in poor, marginalized communities. Initiatives need to be developed, including children’s voices, to ensure that children’s rights and welfare are not violated or left unattended during emergencies. All countries need to comply with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Sustainable Development Goal 8.7 and nationally adopted policies and laws on child protection.
- Allocate / allocate budget. Richer countries should provide development assistance to poorer countries, especially during emergencies. For example, providing safe spaces for shelters can be used to empower children and their parents/carers on child labor issues. Governments should commit to initiatives to increase financial allocation to maximize their use to support access to social protection, free quality public education, health care health for all children and free toiletries to ensure adequate attendance. Stakeholders must be empowered to hold governments accountable and transparent at all times. Corruption and misappropriation of funds will prevent everyone from having free access to quality public education and reduce the ability of children to pursue their dreams of meaningful membership in the community. society.
- Ensure the democratic representation of children and young people in making and implementing important decisions that always affect them. Organizations such as student unions, children’s groups and civil society organizations must engage with children to find solutions.
“We, the children and young people of the world … are saying ‘no to child labour.’ We ask that governments and all other organizations respect and consider their voices. me to eliminate child labor by 2025. We hope that this conference will not become one of just words, but actions,” the children said.
Commenting on children’s participation in the conference, Otami said they have helped provide a clear understanding of what the world is struggling with and the need for comprehensive realization of children’s rights.
“Hearing children’s voices is very important. We talk about evidence-based research – what children are going through and thinking is part of the evidence,” she said.
Wissing said children’s participation had been discussed at previous conferences, but the South African government had decided it was willing to give children a platform to talk to policymakers. In the world.
“Children’s rights are not something you can negotiate depending on local conditions or issues. These are aspirations that need to be fulfilled. You look at these conventions (on children’s rights and the abolition of labor). child action), but if you Wissing said.
He said the ILO is working with trade unions to advocate for businesses that offer decent wages and working conditions for parents so their children can go to school.
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