As each June 12, today marks the World Day Against Child Labor, which this year is focused on protecting children from work in areas of conflict and catastrophes.
According to Save The Children, 168 million children worldwide suffer labor exploitation; a figure that puts the creeps but that, however, is a sad reality that we should not ignore and that we must fight from all areas of society.
The harsh reality of children forced to work
United Nations points out that there are more than 1.5 billion people living in countries affected by conflict, violence and instability. At the same time, every year, about 200 million people are affected by natural disasters.
The latest report published by Save the Children, talks about 168 million children worldwide suffering labor exploitation, of which a large part live in areas affected by conflicts and catastrophes.
Conflicts and natural disasters have a devastating impact on people's lives, especially children. Their lives are seriously affected by disease or mutilation, and their homes, schools and livelihoods are destroyed.
Families are forced to flee and displaced or refugee children are particularly vulnerable to trafficking and forced labor. Therefore, the International Labor Organization (ILO) asks to join forces on this Day to end child labor.
Chilling figures of children without childhood
The global report on childhood published this year by Save The Children throw chilling figures; not only in the field of work, but in other areas such as marriage and motherhood in childhood, malnutrition or violence.
An estimated 700 million children worldwide have been deprived of their childhood, one way or another263 million children worldwide they are not schooled
More than 75,000 children under 20 were killed during the year 2015
Approximately 8 million children between 0 and 19 years old they die every year. 75% (6 million) are under 5 years old
156 Million children under 5 years old suffer stunted growth
Almost 28 million children they flee their homes: 11 million are refugees and asylum seekers and 17 million are internally displaced
Around 40 million girls between 15 and 19 are married or live as a couple. Every year 15 million girls under 18 get married and of them, 4 million are under 15 years old
About 16 million girls between 15 and 19 years old gives birth every year, being approximately 1 million under 15 years old
Play and learn: the only tasks that children should do
A child's childhood should be between games and learning, and child labor is a scourge that not only deprive of playing and going to school, but makes it impossible for them to have a better future and endangers the welfare of successive generations.
As reported by the general director of SOS Children's Villages Argentina:
"Every time a child or adolescent is forced to work, whether in exchange for an economic compensation or not, their chances of fully developing and reaching their full potential are affected."
"Child labor constitutes a severe violation of the rights of children and adolescents that in many cases it allows us to suppose other violations such as school dropout, lack of health care, the inability to play and rest properly, just to mention a few of them. "
Therefore, at the 106th meeting of the International Labor Conference that is being held today in Geneva, these issues will be addressed in search of international measures to stop this scourge humanitarian
Awareness and international work
The World Day against Child Labor was established by the International Labor Organization (ILO) in 2002, with the aim of highlighting the very serious situation that millions of children in the world are going through.
Each year has been dedicated to a different theme:
2002: "A future without child labor"
2003: "Trafficking in children"
2004: "Behind closed doors - domestic child labor"
2005: "A heavy burden: child labor in mines and quarries"
2006: "The elimination of child labor: Together we can do it!"
2007: "Child labor and agriculture"
2008: "Education: The right answer to child labor"
2009: "Let's give girls a chance: Eradicate child labor"
2010: "Let's score a goal ... eradicate child labor"
2011: “Attention! children in hazardous work- Let's eradicate child labor ”
2012: “Human rights and social justice… eradicate child labor”
2013: “No to child labor in domestic work”
2014: “Let's expand social protection: let's eliminate child labor!”
2015: “NO to child labor - YES to quality education!”
2016: “Eliminate child labor in production chains”
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In Babies and More June 12, Day against child labor and in favor of education, Video, how to have a world free of child labor?
