NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 2 – The global citizen has to make a lasting commitment to end child labour in all its forms.
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) describes Child Labour (CL) as, work that deprives children (any person under the age of 18) of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to their physical and/or mental development.
Global estimates on child labour indicate that there are 160 million child labour victims worldwide, 79 million are involved in the worst forms of child labour (exposed to serious hazards) and are between ages 5 and 11 years based on the ILO and UNICEF Report (2016-2020), under the aegis of Alliance 8.7.
Sub-Saharan Africa stands out as the region with the highest prevalence and the largest number of children in child labour with shocking statistics of 86.6 Million representing 23.9 % of the population.
Countries like Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Madagascar have witnessed rising cases of child labour in the mining sector, agricultural sector, hospitality sector, construction sector, transport sector and other informal employments that are exploitative.
Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) depicts that 8.5 per cent of children translating to 1.3 million are engaged in child labour (2021). Children in rural and urban Kenya are highly susceptible to child labour due to structural, systemic and capacity gaps.
These include weak family systems, poverty, uncoordinated preventive and response mechanisms and weak case management.
This leads to far-reaching effects on children missing out on education, physical and mental effects and many of them suffer irredeemable psychological damages based on hazardous work.
The above effects were confirmed from a recent study (TdH NL 2022) by Terre des Hommes Netherlands and Investing in children and their societies (ICS) under the Action against Child Labour project in Busia County, which confirmed that poverty is a push factor to Child labour.
Busia County has a Human Development Index (HDI) of 0.43 below the national average of 0.52, an indication of high poverty levels. Further, it is estimated that the poverty index is at 83%, meaning about 9 out of every 10 children in Busia County are multidimensionally poor.
The study also established that 45% of children in school and 55% of school children are in child labour. It further depicted that male children constituted 54% of children in child labour compared to female children at 46%.
Most of the working children are aged 15 to 17 years at 44%, 12 to 14 years at 39%, and 5 to 11 years at 17%.
Governments, CSOs and private sector interventions have invested heavily in policy formulation and implementation, awareness creation and livelihood programs in addressing child labour.
The ILO convention No. 182 on the worst forms of Child Labour became the first ever International Labour Standard to achieve Universal ratification.
While the Universal ratification of ILO Convention No 182 is remarkable towards eradicating the child labour issues by establishing a clear roadmap, countries in the region, Kenya included, still need to enforce and ensure effective implementation through labour Inspection and other means.
Kenya and countries in the East African Region, are working closely with private sectors, CSO and ILO in domesticating and amplifying labour laws and strengthening systems and structures ranging from regional collaborations to country engagements with the aim of streamlining the fight against child labour and other contributing exploitations.
However, there are still gaps and challenges ranging from inadequate awareness, weak prevention and response structures and inadequate enforcement of child labour laws.
Action against Child labour Project implemented by TdH NL and ICS SP is committed to eliminating child labour in all its forms in the service industry in Busia County and by influencing the implementation of relevant laws and policies. Recommendations towards the elimination of child labour include:
● The Ministry of Education to continue enforcing enrolment, retention and transition of children across the education landscape while liaising with the local administration, parents and caregivers on the prevention and withdrawal of children from the worst forms of Child labour
● The Ministry of labour and social protection coordinates and has a harmonisation and consolidation of existing laws including finalisation of the Hazardous list of child work. Mobilise resources towards elimination of CL by county, national govts, donors and CSOS while focusing on the root causes of CL
● The Ministry of labour and social protection to carry out regular and periodic labour inspections in quarries, restaurants, hardwares and other small and medium enterprises in the counties to not only weed out child labour but also deter employment of children; and Sensitize Private Employment Agencies (PEAs) on the ILO Conventions
● The Directorate of Children Services to promote and strengthen the collection of accurate and timely data on child labour using the existing CPIMS, Data on Child Labour is a gap in the country. This will inform child labour date-driven prevention and response planning
● Trade Unions and associations, through the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI), and business associations are supported to develop and enforce good practices on self-regulation code regarding child labour.
A clarion call to action to all actors from community organizations, county and national governments as well as regional collaborations to act on¨SDG TARGET 8.7, Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms¨.
Article written by Evans Munga, Project Manager, Terre des Hommes Netherlands and co-authored by Dennis Ratemo, Programme Manager, Terre des Hommes Netherlands
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