Remember, there is no reason, no excuse...Child Labour is Child Abuse: World Day Against Child Labour 2021

People's lives and livelihoods are being severely impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. Children, regrettably, are most often the first to fall into this situation. According to statistics, there are 152 million minors working as child labour, whereas 72 million of them do risky work. World Day Against Child Labor 2021, a day commemorated every year on June 12 to raise awareness about the social evil of promoting and hiring children for labour. The World Day Against Child Labor, organised by the International Labour Organization, emphasises the right to education for all children around the world, regardless of their socioeconomic status, race, or caste. To meet the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, every child should be able to attend school.

During the Coronavirus outbreak, children, particularly those from poor families, are more vulnerable to exploitation as their parents fall deeper into poverty. Some families voluntarily or involuntarily send their children to work, while others who are looking for employment risk being trafficked for forced labour. The Supreme Court of India recently issued guidelines to prevent child labour during the COVID-19 lockdown. Low-income countries, on the other hand, have the largest rate of children engaged in child labour. According to statistics, child labour affects 9% of children in lower-middle-income nations and 7% of children in upper-middle-income nations.

According to studies, Africa has the maximum number of children victims of forced labour. As per multiple sources and research papers, the total number of minors working in Africa is 72 million, with 31 million working in hazardous conditions. In Asia and the Pacific, 62 million children are employed as child labourers, making it the second-largest area. The remaining child labour population is split between the United States (11 million), Europe and Central Asia (6 million), and Arab States (1 million).

Based to these research studies, child labour affects 5% of children in America, 4% of children in Europe and Central Asia, and 3% of children in Arab countries. So many children between the ages of 5-17 are working in jobs that deny them the opportunity to have a normal childhood, such as adequate schooling, good health care, leisure time, or even fundamental independence. This is why June 12 is designated as World Day Against Child Labor every year, in order to raise awareness about the problem of child labour and to develop measures to eliminate it.