Child labour in Syria
The 63-month long crisis in Syria has led to the increase of the child employment rates in the country besides the recruitment of children by terrorist organizations in the areas held by them.
The outbreak of child labour phenomena in Syria resulted from the change of living conditions, according to chairperson of the Syrian Commission for Family Affairs Hadil al-Asmar.
She was quoted on the official news agency (SANA) as saying that efforts must be unified to protect children and to guarantee their rights through drawing up plans in accordance with the Syrian law.
Her remark was made during a workshop held Sunday in the ‘al-Sham’ Hotel in Damascus on the occasion of the World Day Against Child Labour.
The workshop focused on the laws of child labour in Syria before and after the crisis and the ways of preventing the spread of this phenomena as well as social protection to families of those children.
Director of population affairs in the commission Waddah al-Rkad said that the commission is working on a research on reasons and effects of child labour.
While Director of family affairs in the commission Rana Khlifawi underscored the need to carry out a field study about this phenomena during the crisis in the country in cooperation with governmental organizations and Non-Governmental ones.
ILO reports
On June 10th, 2015, the International Labour Organization (ILO) said that around 20 to 30 per cent of children in low income countries complete their schooling and enter the labour market by the age of 15.
In 2002, the ILO launched the first World Day Against Child Labour to highlight the plight of child workers.
About 168 million children are still in child labour.
“Child labour has no place in well-functioning and well regulated markets, or in any supply chain. The message that we must act now to stop child labour once and for all has been affirmed by the sustainable development goals. Acting together, it is within our means to make the future of work a future without child labour,” Guy Ryder, ILO Director-General said.
The term “child labour” is often defined as work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development.
BasmaQaddour