The rate of child labour is alarming. Global estimates indicate that 160 million children (63 million girls and 97 million boys) were in child labour at the beginning of 2020
Posted on: 8th December, 2022 By: NRDO Uganda 3 min readGlobally, the rate of child labour is alarming. Global estimates indicate that 160 million children-63 million girls and 97 million boys were in child labour globally at the beginning of 2020, accounting for almost 1 in 10 of all children worldwide (ILO & UNICEF, 2020:8)1. Seventy-nine million children which is almost a half of all those in child labour were in hazardous work that directly endangers their health, safety and moral development (Ibid). Global progress against child labour has stalled for the first time and ILO and UNICEF expressed concern that if urgent actions are not taken, COVID-19 pandemic could push millions more children into child labour.
Indeed, the Uganda national labour survey which was launched in November 2022 reveal a sharp rise in the rate of child labour. The numbers of children engaged in labour has taken a sharp rise in Uganda, from 2,048,000 children constituting a total of 14% of all Ugandan children in 2018 (UBOS, 2018:152) 2 to 6.2 million constituting a total of 40% Ugandan children aged 5-17 years (UBOS, 2021:188) 3. Evidence reveals that, while child labour reduced among children aged 12-13 years from 27% in 2018 to 16 percent in 2021, it has raised among the youngest cohort of 5-11 years from 55% in 2018 to 58% in 2021(Ibid, p. 191). What is evident is that younger children aged 5-11 years have continued to bear the highest burden of child labour in Uganda, but also globally (see ILO & UNICEF, 2020:8). Agriculture sector is responsible for the most numbers of children engaged in children, estimated at 70% an equivalent of 112 million children globally (ILO & UNICEF 2020:8). Moreover, this is work which is harmful to children’s physical, social, or psychological well-being
For more details on the issue brief, find it here. Download Issue Brief Special Edition December 2022
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