eLearning Tools on Child Labour

  1. eLearning tools on child labour

    The eLearning tools are designed to help to better understand what child labour is and the key role ILO stakeholders can play.

Highlights

  1. Conference

    IV Global Conference on the Sustained Eradication of Child Labour, Buenos Aires, 14-16 November, 2017

    The ILO participates in the IV Global Conference on Child Labour which will bring together representatives from government, social partners, civil society, regional and international organizations to share policies and experiences in the global fight against child labour.

    Under the framework of the SDG Target 8.7, it was agreed that the IV Global Conference should cover both the sustained eradication of child labour and the elimination of forced labour and, in this context, it will also address the issue of the quality of youth employment.

International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC)

  • Eliminating child labour is an important facet of the ILO's work. Child labour not only prevents children from acquiring the skills and education they need for a better future, it also perpetuates poverty and affects national economies through losses in competitiveness, productivity and potential income. Withdrawing children from child labour, providing them with education and assisting their families with training and employment opportunities contribute directly to creating decent work for adults.

  • 2021 declared International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour

    The UN General Assembly has urged the international community to step up efforts to eradicate forced labour and child labour, and declared 2021 as the Year for the Elimination of Child Labour.

  • World Day Against Child Labour - 12 June 2019

    Children shouldn’t work in fields, but on dreams!

    This year, the World Day Against Child Labour will look back on progress achieved over a 100 years of ILO support to countries on tackling child labour.

  • © F. Vindas, G. Bolanos

    Child labour in domestic work

    Learn more about what is child domestic work and what does constitute child labour in domestic work?

  • ILO InfoStories· website on labour issues

    The website allows users to delve into a broad range of multimedia content on particular themes, such as child labour, forced labour, collective bargaining and discrimination in the workplace.

  • © Lisa Kristine

    Alliance 8.7: For a world without forced labour, modern slavery, human trafficking and child labour

    Building on the new momentum created by the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Alliance 8.7 brings together all interested parties to join forces in achieving Target 8.7 aiming at a world without forced labour, modern slavery, human trafficking and child labour.

Facts and figures

  • Worldwide 218 million children between 5 and 17 years are in employment.
    Among them, 152 million are victims of child labour; almost half of them, 73 million, work in hazardous child labour.
  • In absolute terms, almost half of child labour (72.1 million) is to be found in Africa; 62.1 million in the Asia and the Pacific; 10.7 million in the Americas; 1.2 million in the Arab States and 5.5 million in Europe and Central Asia.
  • In terms of prevalence, 1 in 5 children in Africa (19.6%) are in child labour, whilst prevalence in other regions is between 3% and 7%: 2.9% in the Arab States (1 in 35 children); 4.1% in Europe and Central Asia (1 in 25); 5.3% in the Americas (1 in 19) and 7.4% in Asia and the Pacific region (1 in 14).
  • Almost half of all 152 million children victims of child labour are aged 5-11 years.
    42 million (28%) are 12-14 years old; and 37 million (24%) are 15-17 years old.
  • Hazardous child labour is most prevalent among the 15-17 years old. Nevertheless up to a fourth of all hazardous child labour (19 million) is done by children less than 12 years old.
  • Among 152 million children in child labour, 88 million are boys and 64 million are girls.
  • 58% of all children in child labour and 62% of all children in hazardous work are boys. Boys appear to face a greater risk of child labour than girls, but this may also be a reflection of an under-reporting of girls’ work, particularly in domestic child labour.
  • Child labour is concentrated primarily in agriculture (71%), which includes fishing, forestry, livestock herding and aquaculture, and comprises both subsistence and commercial farming; 17% in Services; and 12% in the Industrial sector, including mining.
Source: Global Estimates of Child Labour: Results and trends, 2012-2016, Geneva, September 2017.

News

  1. Timor-Leste move forward to reach a future without child labour and decent work for all

    10 October 2019

  2. Timor-Leste launches its first National Child Labour Survey Report and Mini Labour Force Survey Report 2016

    07 October 2019

  3. Reviewing the impact of Social Protection

    13 August 2019

List all

Events

  1. Looking Back, Moving Forward, and Taking Action Towards a Child Labour-Free Philippines

    29 June 2019

  2. TOGETHER for a brighter future without child labour

    13 June 2019

  3. United to end child labour in agriculture

    12 June 2019

List all

Just released

  1. Publication

    Timor-Leste National Child Labour Survey 2016 - Executive Summary

    07 October 2019

  2. National Child Labour Survey (NCLS)

    Timor-Leste National Child Labour Survey 2016 - Analytical Report

    07 October 2019

  3. Gabay sa pagpapaunlad ng pamilyang Pilipino ukol sa child labour

    Gabay sa pagpapaunlad ng pamilyang Pilipino: Modyul ukol sa child labour

    26 September 2019

List all

Forthcoming

  1. Report

    Ending child labour, forced labour and human trafficking in global supply chains

    11 November 2019