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For Immediate Release
246 MILLION CHILDREN WORKING DURING WORLD DAYS FOR CHILDREN
19 November 2002 - Almost a quarter of a billion children are
working as child labourers today during the World Day for the
Prevention of Child Abuse, and will continue toiling tomorrow
on Universal Children's Day. Despite the world's promise to
care for every child, the scourge of child labour still leaves
countless children deprived of their most basic rights.
These World Days should be marked with a renewed determination
to protect the lives of all children. Governments must be called
upon to meet the commitments in the UN Convention on the Rights
of the Child and in the ILO Conventions on child labour. The
international community must make the protection and development
of children the first priority in aid programs. Businesses must
stop using children to turn a quick profit. And above all, ordinary
people, adults and children alike, must make it clear that the
abuse of children as child labourers has no place in this world.
The commercial exploitation of children in both developing and
developed countries has come to be recognised as the most common
form of child abuse today. Subjected to physical, psychological
and emotional abuse, child labourers are often trapped with no
other options. Too often society simply accepts their labour
as a harsh reality and turns a blind eye as the children suffer
horrendous abuse.
"Do we consider ourselves civilised? Do we deserve to be called
humanity when we take the youngest children and abuse them for
profit and power?" asked Kailash Satyarthi, Chairperson of the
Global March Against Child Labour. "Ending child labour must
be the very top priority of the international community."
The tens of millions of young girls working as servants in wealthy
and middle class families are among the most exploited. Working
from before dawn until late into the night, these girls are hidden
behind closed doors and have no protection from the cruelty and
lust of their absolute masters. And again society has accepted
this practice as simply a way of life.
When the UN adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child
on 20 November 1989, there was great hope for a better future
for all the world's children. Despite a number of improvements
for some, a great number of children have simply been left to
fend for themselves.
Many wander the streets selling petty goods at all hours of the
day, or work in unhealthy and hazardous factory environments
providing cheap and easily manipulated labour in the manufacture
of goods. Others are indentured servants - little more than
slaves - in back breaking labour on farms. Still others are
forced into prostitution or to fight wars for guerrilla or even
government forces. Many are not free to leave. Almost all are
deprived of their right to receive a quality education.
For these children, their life prospects are bleak. They will
not have the chance to develop their potential and in later life
will be unable to find decent work. They will be confined to
the most degrading and exploitative work, in conditions so hazardous
that they will likely not live long lives. This fate they may
pass on to their own children - perpetuating a cycle of poverty
and misery that afflicts so many today.
- ENDS -
For more information, please contact:
Global March Against Child Labour
L-6 Kalkaji, New Delhi-19, INDIA
Phone: (91 11) 622 4899, 647 5481
Fax: (91 11) 623 6818
E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Website: www.globalmarch.org
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