Ending child labour a must

Jun 12, 2018

DAY AGAINST CHILD LABOUR

In 2016, the Government approved the Children (Amendment) Act, which criminalised the use of children for labour exploitation. It also launched a National Social Protection Policy that targets child labourers.

But, even with these laws in place, child labour is on the increase according to the director of social protection in the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, James Ebitu.

"There are more than two million children in Uganda used as labourers, although the magnitude of child labour varies in every region," he says.

The number of child labourers increased from 4.3% in 2015/2016 to 4.5% in 2016/2017. According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO 2015 Child labour report), 20-30 % of adolescents join the labour market by the age of 15.

On the streets of Kampala, the sight of children begging for money as their adult caretakers watch them from a safe distance, has almost become the norm.

However, what the adults do not know, is that using children to earn a living under cruel conditions, including the scorching sun or cold, rainy weather, is a violation of their rights.

Ebitu says abuse in form of child labour, is mentally, physically and morally dangerous and harmful to the child and interferes with their growth and right to go to school. CLICK HERE FOR MORE ON THIS STORY

 

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