Child labor, especially in domestic work, remains a serious problem in Uganda. The Ministry of Gender, Labor and Social Development is hosting an event on June 12th at the National Theatre to bring awareness to this issue and promote interventions. The goal is to review laws to better protect the rights of domestic workers, in line with ILO Convention 189. Child labor in domestic positions is one of the worst forms due to the isolation and high risk of abuse. The government has made efforts to address child labor through various programs and policies, but challenges remain in fully enforcing laws and frameworks due to capacity gaps.

1. PRESS RELEASE FOR THE CELEBRATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL DAY AGAINST
CHILD LABOUR
THEME: NO TO CHILD DOMESTIC WORK
VENUE: NATIONAL THEATRE
DATE 12TH
JUNE 2013
Child labour is globally regionally as well as nationally, a pervasive phenomenon.
According to the Uganda National Household Survey, (2009/2010), there are 2.75
million children who are economically active, particularly, in the age range of 15-
17 years.
Of these, 51%, representing 1.4 million children, are engaged in hazardous work.
The highest concentrations of worsct forms of child labour are found in Western
region at 55.7%, followed by the Eastern and Central regions respectively, at 53%,
with Northern Uganda, the least affected, at 45.4%.
Child labour is defined as engagement of children in work that is mentally,
physically, socially and/or morally dangerous and harmful to children.
Child labour is also defined as employment of children in hazardous work which
by nature or circumstances under which it is performed jeopardizes the health,
safety and morals of the child.
Further child labour is perceived to be work that interfere with the school
attendance of the child
The Global theme on World Day Against Child Labour
The global theme for this year’s World day against Child Labour is “No to Child
Labour in Domestic Work’’. This theme calls for national interventions against
child labour in Domestic work.
The lead activity agency is the Ministry of Gender Labour and Social Development
with other tripartite partners. It will be celebrated on 12th
June 2013 at the
1

2. National Theatre with a Public Dialogue on Domestic Workers. As such the
Ministry will review the Employment Act 2006 to include all issues on Domestic
workers as per ILO Convention 189 on Domestic Workers.
In 2011, the ILO adopted new international standards promoting decent work for
domestic workers, so that they have the right to decent work and living
conditions. This is ILO Convention No. 189 concerning decent work for domestic
workers. Child labour is globally regionally as well as nationally, a pervasive
phenomenon. According to the Uganda National Household Survey, (2009/2010),
there are 2.75 million children who are economically active, particularly, in the
age range of 15-17 years.
Child labour in domestic work is one of the worst forms of child labour where
children work in homes, hidden from public eye; they are normally isolated, work
long hours, physically and sexually abused, voiceless with low or no pay.
Child labour, if not addressed, affects national economic and social development
of sustainable employment, productivity and decent work and is an obstacle to
achieving MDG for education for all.
Many children in Uganda are already involved as domestic workers before
reaching the minimum age of 14 years for entry to employment.
Due to the seriousness of child labour and the vast effects on development,
Uganda has child labour as one of the priority concerns.
Child labour is being addressed by different stakeholders. These comprises of the
MGLSD and other line ministries like education and sports, Finance, Internal
affairs; CSOs, NGOs, Faith based organization, workers and employers
representatives. The approaches used include SCREAM, Community Conservation
Meetings, Community Child Labour Committees, and Integrated Area Based
Approach.
The effects of worst forms of child labour, including exploitative child domestic
work are broad but generally range from: physical, psychological, emotional
effects, socio-economic impacts such as disruption of government development
2

3. programmes like: UPE and USE, and others, that prioritise reduction of illiteracy
levels, poverty eradication and minimization of generic vulnerability of children.
The types of worst forms of child labour that are widespread are, but not limited
to the following: commercial and sexual exploitation of children, exposure in
stone quarries and sand mines, farms, agricultural plantations, engagement in
heavy domestic chores and hired work with miniscule wage structures, fishing,
construction, manufacturing, armed conflict as well as situations of child
trafficking and smuggling.
The GoU has so far registered the following milestones and “monuments” in the
dimension of mitigation and eradication of worst forms of child labour:
implementation of a total of 13 programmes and projects from 1999-2013 that
have seen the removal and prevention of a total of 54,419 children from worst
forms of child labour episodes; ratification of international legal instrumentation,
that is a total of 30 Conventions of the ILO, Roadmaps, Declarations, Protocols,
Plans of Actions, Global Plans of Action, Charters, inter alia; domestication of
these via the enactment of national legal regimes for instance the national
Constitution under article 34 (4) which is on the protection of children from socio-
economic exploitation.
This Constitutional provision has also been effectuated through a series of
legislative enactments: Employment Act, No. 6 of 2006 specifically under section
32 which states that children under the age of 12 years must not be employed in
any enterprise; Children Act, 2000 (Cap 59, Laws of Uganda) section 8 which
states that no child shall be employed or engaged in any activity that might be
harmful; Penal Code 120 (amended in 2007) that prohibits sexual and commercial
exploitation of children; the OSH Act, No. 9 of 2006 among others.
Besides these, is a raft of policy enunciations, notably: UPE, (1997); USE, (2008);
National Employment Policy, (2011); National Child Policy, (2006); that equally
prioritize stamping out the malady of worst forms of child labour pursuant to the
aspirations of Vision 20140 and the National Development Plan, (2010/2011-
2014/2015).
3

4. However, in spite of these, there have been a series of challenges particularly:
weak enforcement of international-national legal regimes, policy and action
blueprints, capacity gaps among action officers in the national machinery tasked
with elimination of worst forms of child labour, dissemination gaps in respect to
these frameworks that mandate and regulate action among others.
This platform is a fundamental road to results and we exhort all our partners to
scale up effort in this noble mission.
FOR GOD AND MY COUNTRY
Hon Suleiman Madada K
Minister of State for Disability and Elderly also Holding the portfolio for
Minister of State for Labour Employment Industrial Relations .
10th
/6/2013
4