By: Muhammad Khizar Hussain BS-food science and technology KFUEIT-Rahimyar Khan, Punjab, Pakistan.

1. WORLD DAY AGAINST CHILD
LABOR 2020
By: MUHAMMAD
KHIZAR HUSSAIN

2. World Day Against Child Labor 2020:
• Due to COVID-19 pandemic, this year, the celebration of the day is via virtual campaign which
is organized jointly with the Global March Against Child Labor and the International
Partnership for Cooperation on Child Labor in Agriculture (IPCCLA).
• World Day Against Child Labor was introduced in 2002 by the International Labor
Organization. The day provides an opportunity and urges the need to generate an
environment for children to grow and live a dignified life and also to fight against child labor
throughout the world.
• Poverty is one of the main reasons for child labor because of which children are forced to left
their school and opt for minimal jobs to support their parents for their livelihood. Moreover,
some are forced into child labor by organized crime rackets.
• The Day not only focuses on the suitable environment required for the children to grow and
prosper but also provide an opportunity to gain support from governments, civil society,
schools, youth, women's groups and media to participate in the campaign against child labor.

3. World Day against Child Labor 2020: Theme
• The theme of World Against Child Labor 2020 is "Protect
children from child labor, now more than ever". Due to
COVID-19 pandemic, the resulting economic and labor market
have a huge impact on the lives of people and livelihoods.
Unfortunately, children are often the first to suffer. The crisis
can also push millions of vulnerable children into child labor.

4. World Day Against Child Labour: History
• In 1919, the International Labor Organization (ILO) was established to
promote social justice and to set up an International Labor Standards. Let
us tell you that the ILO has 187 member states. The Kingdom of Tonga, a
South Pacific island nation, became the 187th member State of the
International Labor Organization (ILO). Since then, the ILO has passed
several conventions to improve the conditions of labor across the globe.
Not only this, but also provides guidelines on matters like wages, working
hours, favorable environment etc.
• In 1973, ILO convention number 138 was adopted and focused on the
minimum age for employment. It aims the member states to raise the
minimum age of employment and to abolish child labor.
• In 1999, the ILO convention number 182 was adopted and was also known
as "Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention". It aims to take necessary
and immediate action to eliminate the worst form that is child labour.

5. What constitutes Child Labour?
• According to the International Labor Organization, child labor is
"work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and
their dignity and that is harmful to physical and mental health".
That is such type of work that deprives the children of their right to
education and dignified living.
• ILO also says that child labor is such type of work which have
physically, mentally and socially consequences on the children and
damages them in some or the other way. In fact, any type of work
that stops children to take school education is also child labor.
• It is categorized into three forms: work that deprives the children of
the opportunity to attend school, work that forced a child to leave
school at an early age and work that requires children to attend
school but with the heavy workload.

6. World Day Against Child Labor: Significance
• This day mainly focus on the children development and it protects the
right of education and dignified life for the children. Therefore, it is
important to achieve the Sustainable development Goals (SDGs) by
2030 as propagated by the UN.
• Several organizations, ILO etc. are making efforts to curb the child
labor. But we should also be responsible and take our duties to help in
eliminating child labor. It is correctly said that the child that comes out
of child labor comes to know his or her potential and self-worth.
• They began to enjoy life, human rights and live a dignified life.
• No doubt such children will also contribute to the economic and social
growth of the country and also of the world.
• Children are the future of the country, isn’t it!

7. Some Facts about Child Labor
• According to the UN,
- Around 152 million children between the ages of 5-17 were in
child labor and almost half of them that is around 73 million
are in hazardous child labor.
- Almost 48% victims of child labor were aged 5-11, 28% were
12-14 years old and 24% were 15-17 years old.

8. Stop Child Labor,
Protect the rights
of children,
educate them, and
support them!