Taking action and useful resources

Taking action against child labour

Child labour is an abuse of children’s rights and it is a vast and urgent problem all around the world. As child labour is so widespread and so complex, the only way we can put a stop to it is to all act together, at the same time. Governments, workers’ and employers’ organizations,, law enforcement agencies, teachers, parents, community members, and especially children and young people themselves, must take a stance together, across the world, to demand the elimination of child labour!

Below are some suggestions on what you can do in your community, in your region, in your country to take action and get involved in the fight against child labour:

  • Inform yourselves. The first thing you can do is BE AWARE about the state of child labour in the world, and be informed about the abuses and injustices that go on. It affects you more than you would think. Then you are in a position to go and inform other people about child labour.
  • Recruit others into the campaign. In your region, establish contact with other young people in schools and community groups who could work with you in your action against child labour.
  • Sensitize others. Create a presentation pack to raise awareness on child labour using the resources material and photos available on the IPEC Information resources section.
  • Awareness-raising. You could organize an activity with friends in your community to raise awareness about child labour. This could be a play, concert or public debate and you could involve local musicians, actors and artists in your community. Remember to also involve parents and family members, who can be precious sources of knowledge and inspiration. Perhaps you could make posters or write to newspapers or magazines about the issue. What ideas can you come up with to raise awareness about child labour? The SCREAM education pack will give you lots of ideas.
  • Encourage more participation. Involve your wider community in events leading to the World Day Against Child Labour observed yearly on 12 June, or organise an SCREAM awareness week (see link below) to attract the greatest public attention possible. Distribute a press release informing and appealing to community groups and universities to join in, and establish contacts in the media for publicising such events.
  • Link up with others. You can combine your efforts with those of other people by using the 12 to 12 Community Portal on child labour. Check into the portal regularly and share your awareness-raising ideas and experiences with other young people from around the world. By sharing your actions you can inspire others to carry out a similar initiative and increase the impact of your efforts!

Activity to help imbed learning

Click here to download a checking activity in PDF. This is a quick game to see if you can distinguish which situations are regarded as child labour and which are not.

Word Bank

Click here to download a word bank in PDF. This is a glossary of many of the terms used on these web pages.

Useful links and resources

  • SCREAM (Supporting Children's Rights through Education, the Arts and the Media)
    SCREAM is an education and social mobilization initiative, to help educators worldwide promote understanding and awareness of child labour among young people.
  • World Day Against Child Labour
    Information on the 12 June World Day Against Child Labour and ways to get involved. This is a day to raise awareness of the situation of child labourers. Here you can also download activities that have been specifically developed for the World Day. In 2009, the activities are focused on the exploitation of girls in child labour and the anniversary of Convention No. 182 on the worst forms of child labour.
  • 12 to 12 Community Portal
    This is a community portal where different actors in the global community highlight their activities to fight child labour all year round (from 12 June one year, to the 12 June the next).
  • ILO Convention No. 182
    The original version of ILO Convention No. 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour.
  • ILO Convention No. 138
    The original version of ILO Convention No. 138 on the Minimum Age for Admission to Employment.

The pictures on this page come from the GenevaWorld Association exhibition “Children’s views of child labour”. Pictures on the top of this page were drawn by Nasser, 11 yrs, Oman; Antonio, 12 yrs, Luxembourg; Mahesh, 15 yrs, Nepal; Gerardo, 9 yrs, Panama. © GenevaWorld.