Child Labour Web Movie Launched

Given that this year's theme for the European Health and Safety Week is about youth in the workplace and the need to educate that safe and healthy workplaces are the right of workers, irrespective of age; it is appropriate for the International Labour Office (ILO) to launched a new web movie featuring the plight of more than 200 million child labourers worldwide.

"In this 21st century, no child should be brutalized by exploitation or be placed in hazardous work", says ILO Director-General Juan Somavia. "No child should be denied access to education. No child should have to slave for his or her survival. Let's keep up the momentum. Let's resolve to keep investing in the struggle for the right of all children to their childhood".

The ILO is committed to helping countries lift all children out of the worst forms of child labour by 2016, and the good news is that it is having some success.

According to a recent ILO report, there are now 28 million fewer child labourers than four years ago but millions more still need help to live as children again. The number of child labourers worldwide fell by 11 per cent between 2000 and 2004, from 246 million to 218 million. What's more, the number of children aged 5-17 trapped in hazardous work decreased by 26 per cent, to reach 126 million in 2004 as opposed to 171 million in 2000.

The ILO attributes the reduction in child labour to increased political will and awareness and concrete action, particularly in the field of poverty reduction and mass education that has encouraged a worldwide movement against child labour.

However, despite considerable progress in the fight against child labour, important challenges remain, particularly in agriculture, where seven out of ten child labourers work. Other challenges include addressing the impact of HIV/AIDS on child labour, and building stronger links between child labour and youth employment concerns.

You can watch the movie and see why millions of children need your help and ours here.

Source: ILO

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