Working children demand flexible education and fair wages for their parents
terre des hommes - Child Labour Report 2022 for the ILO World Conference on Child Labour
Osnabrück/Geneva, May 12, 2022 – For millions of children, COVID-19 meant hunger, poverty, and the end of educational opportunities. The global impact of the pandemic on children and their families is felt in many areas of life. This is evidenced by the 2022 Child Labour Report, published by the international children's aid organization terre des hommes on the occasion of the International Labour Organization (ILO) World Conference, which begins on Sunday in South Africa. The report examines how children's living conditions have changed as a result of COVID-19 and what measures are needed for a just societal recovery from the perspective of those affected.
Case studies conducted by terre des hommes in India and Peru show that many children have been working to ensure their families' survival as a result of the pandemic. This confirms the global trend of an increase in child labor for the first time in 20 years due to the pandemic. Among Peruvian children who attended school before the pandemic and also worked as street vendors, fear and worry about the future are prevalent: their parents have lost their jobs and have no prospects; the children have missed a significant amount of schoolwork over the past two years due to a lack of technical equipment and have fallen behind in their studies, leaving them with no option but to work on the streets. In India, girls and boys report having to compensate for their parents' lost income by mining the mica mineral in mines under extremely dangerous working conditions. Mica is an ingredient in many products; among other things, it is used in the cosmetics and electronics industries because of its pearlescent sheen and good conductivity. They often have to descend into unsecured shafts up to 20 meters deep, risking their lives in the process. In both countries, children complain about inadequate food supplies since COVID-19; in India, the risk of early marriage is also increasing for girls, as families cannot guarantee their basic needs.
In workshops, affected children and adults, together with teachers and government representatives, have developed recommendations for a sustainable and equitable restoration of good living conditions after the pandemic. They are calling for flexible educational offerings and digital equipment so they can continue learning at home in the early morning, afternoon, or evening after work. For example, Peruvian school staff and government officials envisioned an education system that provides the necessary technical resources to ensure children's access to learning even in future crises. They also want an education system that considers the social skills essential for children's development. In India, children and adults expressed a desire for the government to provide scholarships, school uniforms, stationery, and bicycles to girls and boys from disadvantaged households, and for free transportation for students attending schools outside their villages. Regarding higher education, a teacher in India also suggested interest-free loans and improved access to virtual education, especially in remote areas. Furthermore, the children and their families are demanding decent working conditions for adults. Fair wages are necessary to ensure the basic needs of the family, including the education of children.
“The report shows how much children are suffering from the consequences of the pandemic,” said Beat Wehrle, spokesperson for the board of terre des hommes . “Children’s well-being is massively threatened by the pandemic’s effects. We are seeing an alarming increase in exploitative child labor in our project regions. The international community must adopt measures at the World Conference beginning on Sunday that will enable the poorest to cope with the consequences of COVID-19 and to regain their footing economically and socially. This includes, above all, protection from violence and access to education, which allows children to receive a vocational training and not be exploited as day laborers.”