Child Labour
UNICEF estimates that around 150 million children aged 5-14 in developing countries about 16 percent of all children in this age group are involved in child labour (UNICEF 2011 state of the World’s Children). It is also estimated that roughly 90 percent of children involved in domestic labour are girls.
In Eastern and Central Europe, for example, child labour has been reappearing in the wake of social and economic dislocation caused by the transition to a market economy.
FACTS ACCORDING TO ILO:
-
Global number of children in child labour has declined by one third since 2000, from 246 million to 168 million children. More than half of them, 85 million, are in hazardous work (down from 171 million in 2000).
-
Asia and the Pacific still has the largest numbers (almost 78 million or 9.3% of child population), but Sub-Saharan Africa continues to be the region with the highest incidence of child labour (59 million, over 21%).
-
There are 13 million (8.8%) of children in child labour in Latin America and the Caribbean and in the Middle East and North Africa there are 9.2 million (8.4%).
-
Agriculture remains by far the most important sector where child labourers can be found(98 million, or 59%), but the problems are not negligible in services (54 million) and industry (12 million) – mostly in the informal economy.
-
Child labour among girls fell by 40% since 2000, compared to 25% for boys
-
On average, one child in every seven can be classified as a child labourer
TAKE ACTION! Extend social protection, combat child labour!
Featured image source: www.radiodialogue.com
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.