(ANS – Rome) – Today, 12 June, sponsored by the Food and Agricultural Organization is World Day against child labour, and an occasion to renew efforts to fight against this still widespread social evil.

Over 215 million children in the world are forced to work in order to survive. This is one of the alarming facts provided by the International Labour Organisation (ILO). And 115 million – over half of them – are engaged in “work dangerous” to their physical and psychological  health.

In addition  according to the ILO, 60% of child workers are engaged in agricultural and farming work;  7% in industry and 26% in the service industries. 2 out of 3 (68%) are not even paid for their exploitation since it usually involves their families. Only 21% of child workers are paid.

According to the estimates of UNICEF, the Asiatic and Pacific region has the highest number of child workers: over 100 million. Sub-Saharian Africa, with 58 million is next and then  the North Africa and Middle East region, where 15% of children work. In Latin America and the Caribbean the figure is slightly lower at  10%. However, child labour is not only an evil that afflicts the south of the world or the developing areas; on the outskirts of the large western cities or, sometimes in poor rural areas, there are considerable pockets of child labourers.

There is no single cause which leads to the employment of children and minors; in most cases there are a variety of factors involved: poverty in the first place but also the disintegration of the family, inequality, lack of good education, conflicts, natural calamities; in addition a lack of appreciation of the personal dignity of children, in certain contexts creates a demand for child workers and this is even seen a local tradition.

However child labour is not the result of a free choice and is not without its effects. It undermines the right of the children to education, to their right to protection and to their survival. The 2012 World Day against child labour is intended to focus on the rights of children to be protected from exploitation in work and from every violation of their fundamental human rights.
 
Published 12/06/2012