Help child labour escape nightmare lives

All countries, including Myanmar, must prioritize ending child labour as part of the 2024 mission: “Let’s act on our commitments: End Child Labour!” This initiative calls for global empathy and action to alleviate the suffering of children trapped in exploitative labour conditions.
World Day against Child Labour, observed on 12 June, marks the 25th anniversary of the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention (1999, No 182). This day serves as a reminder for all stakeholders to enhance the enforcement of Convention No 182 and Convention No 138, which set minimum age requirements for employment and work.
Despite progress in reducing child labour, recent global trends have reversed, highlighting the urgent need to accelerate efforts to eliminate child labour in all forms. The international community, aligned with Sustainable Development Goal Target 8.7, is committed to eradicating child labour by 2025, aiming to improve the lives of millions of children.
Currently, many children are coerced into work or bear workloads inappropriate for their age. Various factors, such as parental livelihood challenges and family hardships, contribute to the prevalence of child labour. Society must protect these children from forced labour. Law enforcement bodies are crucial in ensuring these children enjoy their rights and are shielded from exploitation.
Regions like Africa, Asia and the Pacific are home to nearly 90 per cent of the world’s child labourers. The remaining children in labour are found in the Americas (11 million), Europe and Central Asia (6 million), and the Arab States (1 million). In terms of incidence, five per cent of children are in labour in the Americas, 4 per cent in Europe and Central Asia, and 3 per cent in the Arab States.
The international community must renew its commitment to ending child labour. Governments, NGOs, and other stakeholders must collaborate to enforce laws, provide education, and support families to ensure children are free from the burdens of labour and can enjoy their childhoods. Efforts should focus on addressing the root causes of child labour, such as poverty and lack of education, while also enforcing strict regulations against exploitation.
Hence, now is the time to save children from the life of child labour. Relevant governments and authorities have to create proper environments and opportunities for children while addressing various difficulties the families of children face. Actually, only when society nurtures children will they escape from child labour.