The number of children exposed to child labour has reached 160 million globally, reflecting an increase of 8.4 million children in the last four years, a new report by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and UNICEF shows.

While this number is alarming, a lot more others are at risk due to the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic. It further warns that progress to end child labour has stalled for the first time in 20 years. This means a reversal of the previous downward trend where child labour declined by 94 million between 2000 and 2016.

The report points to a significant rise in the number of children aged 5-11 years engaged in child labour. The figures show that this category of children represent a little over half of the total global figure.

More so, the number of children aged 5 to 17 years engaged in hazardous work has also risen by 6.5 million to 79 million since 2016.

Guy Ryder, ILO Director-General commented that: “The new estimates are a wake-up call. We cannot stand by while a new generation of children is put at risk.”

He added that “inclusive social protection allows families to keep their children in school even in the face of economic hardship. Increased investment in rural development and decent work in agriculture is essential. We are at a pivotal moment and much depends on how we respond.

“This is a time for renewed commitment and energy, to turn the corner and break the cycle of poverty and child labour.”
Guy Ryder, ILO Director-General

Looming danger for the World

The dangers of the issue of child labour in certain jurisdictions is in the offing. The complexities surrounding population growth, recurrent crises, extreme poverty, and inadequate social protection measures in the region alone have led to an additional 16.6 million children in child labour over the past four years, the report hints.

Likewise, in regions where there have been some headway since 2016, such as Asia and the Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean, COVID-19 is endangering that progress.

The report warns that globally, 9 million additional children are at risk of falling into child labour by end-2022. Meanwhile a simulation model shows that the number could rise to 46 million without the access to social protection coverage.

“We are losing ground in the fight against child labour, and the last year has not made that fight any easier,” remarked UNICEF Executive Director, Henrietta Fore.

“Now, well into a second year of global lockdowns, school closures, economic disruptions, and shrinking national budgets, families are forced to make heart-breaking choices.”
Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director

She further underscored that governments and international development banks must prioritize investments in programmes that can get children out of the workforce and back into school. And in social protection programmes that can assist families avoid the option of child labour.

Therefore, in order to reverse the upward trend of child labour, the right policies and programmes must be followed; adequate social protection; spending on quality educationand getting all children back into school; promotion of decent work; investment in child protection, the report recommends.