On the 12th of June the World Day against Child Labour is celebrated, aiming to bring the attention of the whole world to the very serious and unfortunately still widespread phenomenon of exploitation of children in the workplace.
Even today there are 168 million minors worldwide who work. More than half of them do dangerous jobs, which have direct consequences on health, safety and physical and moral development. Even in Italy at least 340,000 children under 16 are involved in jobs on the limits of exploitation.
World Day against Child Labour, set up in 2002 by the ILO (International Labour Organization), is an occasion in which to raise one’s voice against the exploitation of millions of children at work. Child labour denies girls and boys their fundamental rights to: safety, schooling, training, play, rest and freedom.
For a number of years Cesvi has conducted the international campaign “Stop Child Labour – School is the best place to work”, promoted with other NGOs in the European Network Alliance 2015 (Hivos, IBIS, People in Need). The objective is to call the attention of all citizens, governments, business enterprises and social operatives to their responsibility towards child victims of exploitation at the workplace.
In Kenya Cesvi is committed to fighting child labour through dialogue with the justice system for minors and collaboration with government institutes which house adolescents with criminal records, often victims of forms of exploitation. Psycho-sociological support, professional training and support for their families is available to these children.
In India, in the region of Tamil Nadu, Cesvi works, with the local associations for the promotion of children’s rights, through the Houses of Smiles which give hospitality to orphans and children in difficult conditions, guaranteeing them medical care, food and psychological support. Cesvi also works in the state of Kamataka supporting 1800 children and youths with courses so that they can catch up on schooling and get back into full time education.
The World day against child labour serves to remind us that it is everyone’s concern to put an end to the exploitation of children.