#endchildlabour

Together we can STOP Child Labour! 🛑✋

Child labour is a violation of human rights and can have detrimental effects on the physical, mental, spiritual, moral, or social development of children.

It often involves long hours, dangerous working conditions, and little or no pay. Children who are forced to work like slaves and often denied the opportunity to attend school and receive an education, which can lead to a lifetime of poverty and hardship. 🏫

Child labour can also perpetuate the cycle of poverty and social inequality. Therefore, it is important to stop child labour to protect children and promote their well-being.

Note: All work done by children under the age of 15 and dangerous work done by children under the age of 18 is illegal.

Child labour exists because: ⇾ People accept it and often invent excuses for it. ⇾ Children’s rights are not accepted. Governments fail to provide compulsory, free, and accessible education. ⇾ International agreements and conventions are ignored. ⇾ The education system fails to include poor and vulnerable children. ⇾ Companies worldwide demand cheap labour. ⇾ Countries can benefit from cheap labour. ⇾ Children are a soft target for a helping hand. ⇾ We have not done enough to stop it.

📚 Every child deserves a classroom, not a workplace.

On World Day Against Child Labour, let's stand together to protect childhood, promote education, and create brighter futures for every child. 💙

Every child deserves the right to learn, play, grow, and dream in a safe and supportive environment. Yet millions of children around the world continue to be trapped in child labour, deprived of education, exposed to hazardous conditions, and denied the opportunities they need to reach their full potential.

This year’s theme, “Red Card to Child Labour: Fair Play for Children, Decent Work for Adults,” is a global call to action to end exploitation and create a future where every child can live with dignity, protection, and hope. ⚽📚

According to global estimates, millions of children remain engaged in child labour, particularly in agriculture and hazardous work sectors. Poverty, inequality, lack of access to education, conflict, and weak social protection systems continue to push vulnerable children into labour instead of classrooms. Ending child labour requires collective responsibility, strong policies, sustainable economic opportunities, and global cooperation.

This responsibility is deeply aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

🔹 SDG 1 – No Poverty

Reducing poverty through social protection and economic support helps families avoid relying on child labour for survival.

🔹 SDG 4 – Quality Education

Ensuring inclusive and equitable access to education empowers children with knowledge, opportunities, and a brighter future.

🔹 SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth

Promoting decent work for adults and youth helps eliminate exploitative labour practices and supports sustainable livelihoods.

🔹 SDG 10 – Reduced Inequalities

Addressing social and economic inequalities is essential to protecting vulnerable children from exploitation and abuse.

🔹 SDG 16 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Strong legal systems and effective child protection mechanisms are critical to ending child labour and safeguarding children’s rights.

To accelerate progress, UNICEF and ILO are calling for governments to:

▪️ Invest in social protection for vulnerable households, including social safety nets such as universal child benefits, so families do not resort to child labour.

▪️ Strengthen child protection systems to identify, prevent, and respond to children at risk, especially those facing the worst forms of child labour.

▪️ Provide universal access to quality education, especially in rural and crisis-affected areas, so every child can learn.

▪️ Ensure decent work for adults and youth, including workers’ rights to organize and defend their interests.

▪️ Enforce laws and business accountability to end exploitation and protect children across supply chains.