Employers and labour rights stakeholders in Uganda have been encouraged to amplify their efforts towards prevention of child labour. This emphasis was made during an event organised by the Ministry of Gender Labour and Social Development and partners to observe the World Day Against Child Labour at Mestil Hotel, Kampala under the theme: “Let us Act Now on our Commitments: End Child Labour!”

Child Labour refers to work that is mentally, physically, socially, or morally dangerous and harmful to children. It is hazardous work, which by its nature or in the circumstances under which it is performed, jeopardizes the health, safety, and morals of the children. Child labour is also perceived as work or activities which interfere with children’s school attendance. In all forms, Child Labour deprives children of education, skills, and other opportunities and denies them from securing decent incomes and stable employment as adults.

In observation of the World Day Against Child Labour, stakeholders focus on promoting concrete actions and fulfilling the commitments to address the root causes of child labour, which was at the heart of the Durban Call of Action, adopted at the 5th Global Conference for Elimination of Child Labour in May 2022 in South Africa.

According to International Labour Organisation (ILO) global estimates, Child labour remains a persistent problem in the world today. The latest 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. Seventy-nine (79) million children; nearly half of all those in child labour were in hazardous work that directly endangers their health, safety, and moral development.

In the African continent, there are 92.2 million (21.6%) child labourers according to ILO and UNICEF 2020 global estimates. Around 70% are in the agriculture sector, including fishing, forestry and livestock herding, 19.7% in service and 10.3% in industry including mining.

The recent Uganda Bureau of Statistics National Labour Force Survey 2021 revealed that 6.2 million (40% of the 15.7 million) children aged 5-17 years were involved in child labour excluding those doing household work, with more boys (50.4%) than girls (49.6%) working. The rates were higher in rural (42%) compared to urban (32%) areas. The findings revealed that eight in ten of the children aged 5-11 years were working yet they are not supposed to work. The proportion of children involved in hazardous occupations, and working for long hours, more than 14 hours a day was almost 3%.

The Senior Labour Officer, Iganga, Abubaker Waiswa, said that there is a need to simplify the parenting guidelines and translate them into local languages such that parents can wake up and understand what their roles are. “Can we have this integrated into the national education curriculum such that when you move to education institutions there is signage showing, 'End Child Labour”, added Abubaker Waiswa.

The Assistant Commissioner for Youth, and Children Affairs at the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Tollea Franco said that they have embarked on training the labour officers, senior probation and welfare officers, and community development officers to address this vice.

The Federation of Uganda Employers (FUE), Employment Relations Specialist, Geoffrey Kabi, said that they started taking action in fighting child labour in 1999, by withdrawing children from tea, rice, and sugar plantations and putting them back in school. “We are also actively supporting training enterprises across sectors on child labour due diligence and supporting members to take practical steps to implement sustainable farming practices”, added Geoffrey Kabi.

The Director International Labour Organisation (ILO) in East Africa, Khamati Mugalla said that child labour is both a cause and effect of poverty and they will continue to support the government in improving access to quality education and training through vocational training, skilling, and upskilling of the many children who are dropping out of school in recent years. “While the number of children whose health, safety, and future development are being put at risk, our experience confirms that achieving a world free of child labour is within our reach”, said Khamati Mugalla.

The Commissioner for Equity and Rights, Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Benard Mujuni said that the World Day Against Child Labour emphasizes the importance of social partners, the private sector, and civil society, especially to come together, mobilizing resources, and create platforms for the elimination of child labour.

In an effort to end child labour, Enabel through the Decent Work and Social Protection project, and Advancing Respect for Human Rights by Businesses in Uganda (ARBHR) project recognizes the pivotal role of engaging private sector and corporate stakeholders in the fight against child labour through targeted awareness campaigns, particularly focusing on agriculture and mining sectors to equip businesses with practical measures to mitigate child labour within their operations through tailored training programs, encompassing private sector representatives, civil society organizations, government agencies, and local authorities. This is intended to bolster their ability to monitor, report, and combat the most egregious forms of child labour.

By harnessing the collective efforts of stakeholders and leveraging innovative approaches, Enabel remains resolute in its pursuit of a future where every child is liberated from the scourge of child labour.

Speaking at the event at Mestil Hotel, Kampala, the European Union (EU) in Uganda Head of Governance and Social Inclusion, Nicolas Gonze noted EU support to Uganda in tackling child labour in the coffee and sugar supply chains and said, "Let us renew our collective commitment to free children from labour so they can remain in school and pursue their dreams”.

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) launched the first World Day Against Child Labour in 2002 as a way of highlighting the plight of children engaged in Child Labour. Since then, 12th June of every year is observed as the World Day Against Child Labour, dedicated to renew efforts towards the elimination of child labour.