Today, June 12, 2024, Uganda is observing the 2024 World Day Against Child Labour. The global theme for the day is “Let us Act on Our Commitments: End Child Labour!”
Hon. Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi, Minister of State for Gender, Labour, and Social Development, In-Charge of Children and Youth Affairs, addressed a press briefing at the Uganda Media Centre on Tuesday, where he announced that the commemoration event will take place at the Mestil Hotel in Nsambya.
Hon. Balaam noted that the theme was chosen to acknowledge the 25th anniversary of the universal ratification of Convention No. 182 (1999) on the Worst Forms of Child Labour by all the ILO Member States. It also emphasises the significance of ratifying Convention No. 138 (1973) on the Minimum Age for Admission to Employment for all ILO member states.
“The goal of this commemoration is to underline the widespread issue of child labour globally and the essential actions needed to eradicate it,” Hon. Balaam stated.
According to the Uganda National Child Labour Policy (2006), child labour is defined as work that is physically, mentally, socially, and/or morally dangerous and harmful to children and which interferes with their school attendance.
Child labour remains a significant challenge worldwide. A joint report by the International Labour Organisation and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) revealed that an estimated 160 million children, comprising 63 million girls and 97 million boys, are engaged in child labour globally.
In Africa, approximately 92 million children aged 5–17 years are involved in child labour. Incidents of child labour in Uganda increased from 21% to 36% during the COVID-19 pandemic, with 1 in 10 schoolchildren not returning to school even after reopening. The recent UBOS National Labour Force Survey (NLFS) in 2021 highlighted that around 6.2 million children aged 5–17 years are involved in child labour, excluding household work, with higher rates in rural areas compared to urban areas.
To address this issue, the government is implementing various interventions to eradicate child labour, including the development of policies, legal frameworks, and institutional strategies. The government’s commitment to eliminating child labour is crucial to achieving social justice and ensuring the well-being of children.
