June 12: World Day Against Child Labor
It is a dark tragedy that, in the 21st century, we still recognize "World Day Against Child Labour." This is a stark reminder of our failure as a global community to protect the most vulnerable in our society—our children. As we mark this day, we must confront the harsh reality that millions of children, 1 in 5 worldwide, are still enduring hazardous conditions, their dreams, hopes, and childhoods taken away from them.
According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), "child labor" is work that is "mentally, physically, socially, or morally dangerous and harmful" to a child and deprives them of their childhood.
Let us remember that child laborers are:
Children who work in agriculture, including farming, fishing, and livestock, perform tasks beyond their age-appropriate abilities.
Children who work in factories facing hazardous conditions, poor ventilation, and exposure to toxic materials.
Children who work in garment factories sew clothes for long hours in poorly ventilated sweatshops.
Children who assemble electronics, often in confined spaces with inadequate safety measures.
Children who toil in brick kilns, carrying heavy loads and enduring extreme heat to produce bricks for construction.
Children who work in mines extracting materials like cobalt and gold, enduring harsh conditions for minimal pay, often without protective gear.
Children who perform domestic servitude, working as maids and caretakers, and are often subject to abuse and exploitation.
Children who are bought, sold, and moved for sexual exploitation.
Children who are forced into marriage, losing their childhoods to become wives and mothers while still children themselves.
Children who are exploited for criminal activities, including theft and drug trafficking.
Children who are used in armed conflict, serving as soldiers, scouts, cooks, and more. They are conscripted as child soldiers, trained to fight and kill in conflicts they cannot understand.
These examples of exploitation highlight the ongoing injustice that demands urgent and unwavering action to eradicate child labor once and for all.
