Some 215 million children around the world are forced to work to survive, as several social and union organizations have denounced before the celebration of the World Day Against Child Labor.
This year in its tenth edition the theme is "Human rights and social justice ... eradicate child labor." The International Labor Organization (ILO) proposes to intensify the fight against this problem, as there is still a great disparity between the ratification of conventions on child labor and the actions that governments undertake to address it.
The greatest disparity between commitment and action is found in the informal economy, where most of the violations of fundamental labor rights take place. Children in rural and agricultural areas, as well as the children of migrant workers and indigenous populations, are the most vulnerable to being child labor victims.
And although some progress is recognized, the ILO also indicates that relatively few cases of child labor reach national courts, and the sanctions for violations are often too weak to be dissuasive against the exploitation of children.
This leads to a necessary strengthening of judicial bodies and law enforcement institutions at the national level, along with victim protection programs. Access to education is one of the keys to fighting child labor, however many children are excluded.
This situation is not as far away as it might seem. UNICEF's report on “The impact of the crisis on children” shows that in just two years the number of child poverty in Spain has grown by 10%, to 2,184,000 children living in homes below the poverty line.
The relationship between child labor and poverty is evident, since in the families of lower social and economic strata it is where child labor is installed and in most cases children leave school, in Spain and in any country .
World Day Against Child Labor It is held every year on June 12 and is the main annual awareness event dedicated to child labor, with events in more than 50 countries. We hope that awareness campaigns have a relevant impact and this scourge will decrease more and more.
Official Site | International Labor Organization On Babies and more | Education to combat child labor, Work is not a child thing, Relationship between child labor and education
