The International Labour Organization (ILO) launched the World Day Against Child Labour in 2002 to focus attention on the global extent of child labour and the action and efforts needed to eliminate it.
Each year on 12 June, the World Day brings together governments, employers and workers organizations, civil society, as well as millions of people from around the world to highlight the plight of child labourers and what can be done to help them.
But before we talk about the condition of child labour, let us know what it actually means.
Not all work done by children should be classified as child labour that is to be targeted for elimination. Children’s or adolescents’ participation in work that does not affect their health and personal development or interfere with their schooling, is generally regarded as being something positive.
This includes activities such as helping their parents around the home, assisting in a family business or earning pocket money outside school hours and during school holidays. These kinds of activities contribute to children’s development.
There are around 151.6 million children aged 5-17 in the world who are employed in the business community. 64 million of these children are girls and 88 million are boys. 71 percent of this rate works in the agricultural sector, while 69 percent work in their family business unpaid.
Spurce: India Today
