South Africa has been hosting the Fifth World Conference on the Elimination of Child Labor since Sunday, May 15. It's an important meeting less than three years before reaching the goal...

Cyril Ramaphosa opens global conference on child labor

Audio 01:05

Irene Wanzila is 10 years old.

She works at the Kayole quarry in Nairobi, Kenya, September 29, 2020. © Brian Inganga/AP

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

South Africa has been hosting the Fifth World Conference on the Elimination of Child Labor since Sunday, May 15.

This is an important meeting less than three years before reaching the goal to end the exploitation of young people set for 2025. Over the next few days, the delegates will try to take stock of the progress made. since 2017, date of the last meeting.

Ending child labor, which affects 160 million young people around the world, within three years, is not won, recognizes South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who opened

the conference on Sunday

“

Child labor figures are constantly rising, especially among the youngest.
And these children can't go to school because they have to work for their families, take care of an elderly parent or grandparent, or work on the farm or do all kinds of other tasks. .

Child labor in all its forms is a scourge.

For many people, the words "child labour" conjure up images of young people working hard in sweatshops or in informal factories, but there is also a hidden side that is not seen: children reduced to domestic slavery by their families.

One of the biggest challenges is that the dire material conditions faced by millions of families around the world place them in a dilemma.

When life is about survival and families struggle to make ends meet, their children are often forced to drop out of school to earn a living to support their parents.

It is our duty and our responsibility,

Cyril Ramaphosa: “Child labor in all its forms is a scourge”

Christina Okello

Ways to evolve

Cyril Ramaphosa points to a new form of domestic slavery that reduces poor children to forced labor.

Poverty has been aggravated by the Covid-19 pandemic, he said.

To overcome this problem, several avenues are mentioned: better social protection for children and the real establishment of free universal education.

By Friday, delegates are expected to adopt a statement summarizing the actions to be taken, the Durban Declaration.

According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), which organizes this event, 8 million additional children should be forced to work because of poverty.

Eliminating child labor is an integral part of our journey as the international community towards achieving social justice, human rights and protection for the most vulnerable.

#EndChildLabour https://t.co/GbILkvLY8E

— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 (@CyrilRamaphosa) May 15, 2022

►Also read: Covid-19: Unicef facing its biggest challenge since its creation 75 years ago

Cyril Ramaphosa opens global conference on child labor

Cyril Ramaphosa opens global conference on child labor

Ways to evolve

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