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World Day Against Child Labour
June 12, 2006

Each year, June 12 is celebrated as the World Day Against Child Labour. The first World Day Against Child Labour was observed on June 12, 2002. This day, which was created by the International Labour Organization (ILO), is intended to spread the message that child labour remains a serious problem throughout the world and aims to intensify global efforts to reduce child labour. [Source]

The ILO just issued a report entitled, The End of Child Labour: Within Reach. This report discusses the progress made on decreasing child labour around the world. Over the last four years, the number of child labourers has fallen by 11%! This means that there are now 28 million fewer child labourers than there were in 2002. The report states that if progress continues, the worst forms of child labour can be eliminated within the next decade! [Source]

Reductions in the prevalence of child labour have been the result of a global movement to protect children’s rights. In large part, this change has been made through the actions of individual citizens such as yourself, from encouraging lawmakers to better protect children to providing alternative sources of income to families so that children can go to school.

Key Statistics on Child Labour

  • The greatest declines in child labour are in Latin America and the Caribbean. The number of children at work in this region has been reduced by two-thirds over the last four years.  However, 5% of children ages 5-14 in Latin America and the Caribbean are still involved in child labour.
  • The area with the greatest proportion of child labourers is sub-Saharan Africa, where there are close to 50 million child workers.
  • The estimated cost of eliminating child labour is US$760 billion over a 20-year period. However, the ILO has estimated that the benefit in terms of better education and health is over US$4 trillion, meaning that the benefits of eliminating child labour far outweigh the costs.
  • The majority of child labourers (almost 70%) are working in the agricultural sector, while the remainder works in service jobs or in industries such as mining and manufacturing. [Source]


Take Action

While progress has been made, there is still a long way to go to eliminate child labour completely. You can take action and play a key role in reducing the number of children who are forced to work.

In many areas of the world, poverty leaves parents unable to provide for their children, forcing children into finding jobs to help support their families. Through alternative income projects, Free The Children provides parents with sustainable sources of income, giving children the opportunity to attend school.

Learn more about alternative income projects
Take action through the Adopt a Village: Alternative Income campaign!
 

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