World Day Against Child Labour 2013: Say no to child labour in domestic work
The International Labour Organization (ILO) in Indonesia, in collaboration with JARAK, the Alliance of the Elimination of Child Labour, will join with governments, employers’ organizations, NGOs, and other key constituents, including child labourers, in organizing a national action against child domestic workers on Wednesday, 12 June 2013, from 08.00am – 11.00am, at HI roundabouts, Jakarta.
JAKARTA (Joint Press Release): The International Labour Organization (ILO) in Indonesia, in collaboration with JARAK, the Alliance of the Elimination of Child Labour, will join with governments, employers’ organizations, NGOs, and other key constituents, including child labourers, in organizing a national action against child domestic workers on Wednesday, 12 June 2013, from 08.00am – 11.00am, at HI roundabouts, Jakarta.
More than 300 participants, including ex-child labourers, from various organizations will conduct a public campaign, raising the awareness about the plight of child domestic workers and highlighting the efforts to eliminate child domestic workers. The action will conclude with the release of white doves by H.E. Ms Linda Gumelar, Minister of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection, and other relevant partners. The released doves symbolize freedom for all Indonesian children to reach out for their dreams and be free from exploitation.
The national action is organized in conjunction with the commemoration of the World Day Against Child Labour on 12th of June, under the theme: “No to Child Labour in Domestic Work”. In line with this year’s theme, the national action marks the long journey and efforts in tackling child domestic workers related issues. The action also marks the recent adoption of ILO Convention No. 189 on Decent Work for Domestic Workers, which addresses the need for action to set a minimum age for domestic workers which is essential for eliminating child labour in domestic works.
Around the world, large numbers of children are engaged in paid or unpaid domestic work in the home of a third party or employer. Hidden from the public eye, these children can be particularly vulnerable to exploitation. The ILO estimates that there are 2.6 million domestic workers in Indonesia, of which 26 per cent are children under the age of 18 years old. The great majority of domestic workers are female, around 90 per cent, with low educational levels; they mainly come from poor families in rural communities.
Despite of the importance of the role of domestic workers, domestic work is still not recognized as work. Since their work is done in private households, which are not considered work places in many countries, their employment relationship is not addressed in national labour laws or other legislation, denying them recognition as workers entitled to labour protection.
“It is vital that child domestic labour, so often neglected because exploitation and abuse takes place behind closed doors, receives attention,” says Peter van Rooij, Country Director of the ILO in Indonesia. “Therefore, on this World Day, it is important to call for policy responses to ensure the elimination of child labour in domestic work through, among others, providing quality education and skill training programmes and for the ratification of ILO Convention No. 189 concerning Decent Work for Domestic Workers, complementing relevant ILO Child Labour Convention which had already ratified by Indonesia, to build actions against child labour and end child domestic work.”
The national action is one of the efforts taken by the ILO and its partners to promote awareness on child domestic workers. The action is part of the public campaign on promoting decent work for domestic workers and eliminating child domestic workers which will be conducted by the ILO and its partners throughout June 2013.
Other activities conducted in the campaign include, among others, social media campaign through facebook and twitter, public dialogue and seminar, media engagement, film screening, and theatre performance in five cities: Jakarta, Sukabumi, Surabaya, Lampung and Makassar.
The ILO is the United Nations agency dealing with work and workplace issues. The ILO has been actively calling for the elimination of child labour, in particular its worst forms, since 1992. Currently, the ILO has two programmes dealing with child labour issues: Decent Work for Domestic Workers to End Child Domestic Work (PROMOTE), funded by the United States Department of Labour (USDOL) and Combating Child Labour through Education Project, funded by the Government of Netherlands.
For further information, contact:
Ms Arum Ratnawati
Chief Technical Adviser of ILO’s Child and Domestic Workers Project
Tel.: +6221 391 3112 ext. 122
Email
Ms Dede Sudono
ILO’s Programme Coordinator for Child Labour and Education
Tel. : +6221 391 3112 ext. 126
Email
Ms Gita Lingga
ILO’s Media Relations Officer
Tel. : +6221 391 3112 ext. 115
Email
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The national action is organized in conjunction with the commemoration of the World Day Against Child Labour on 12th of June, under the theme: “No to Child Labour in Domestic Work”. In line with this year’s theme, the national action marks the long journey and efforts in tackling child domestic workers related issues. The action also marks the recent adoption of ILO Convention No. 189 on Decent Work for Domestic Workers, which addresses the need for action to set a minimum age for domestic workers which is essential for eliminating child labour in domestic works.
Around the world, large numbers of children are engaged in paid or unpaid domestic work in the home of a third party or employer. Hidden from the public eye, these children can be particularly vulnerable to exploitation. The ILO estimates that there are 2.6 million domestic workers in Indonesia, of which 26 per cent are children under the age of 18 years old. The great majority of domestic workers are female, around 90 per cent, with low educational levels; they mainly come from poor families in rural communities.
Despite of the importance of the role of domestic workers, domestic work is still not recognized as work. Since their work is done in private households, which are not considered work places in many countries, their employment relationship is not addressed in national labour laws or other legislation, denying them recognition as workers entitled to labour protection.
“It is vital that child domestic labour, so often neglected because exploitation and abuse takes place behind closed doors, receives attention,” says Peter van Rooij, Country Director of the ILO in Indonesia. “Therefore, on this World Day, it is important to call for policy responses to ensure the elimination of child labour in domestic work through, among others, providing quality education and skill training programmes and for the ratification of ILO Convention No. 189 concerning Decent Work for Domestic Workers, complementing relevant ILO Child Labour Convention which had already ratified by Indonesia, to build actions against child labour and end child domestic work.”
The national action is one of the efforts taken by the ILO and its partners to promote awareness on child domestic workers. The action is part of the public campaign on promoting decent work for domestic workers and eliminating child domestic workers which will be conducted by the ILO and its partners throughout June 2013.
Other activities conducted in the campaign include, among others, social media campaign through facebook and twitter, public dialogue and seminar, media engagement, film screening, and theatre performance in five cities: Jakarta, Sukabumi, Surabaya, Lampung and Makassar.
The ILO is the United Nations agency dealing with work and workplace issues. The ILO has been actively calling for the elimination of child labour, in particular its worst forms, since 1992. Currently, the ILO has two programmes dealing with child labour issues: Decent Work for Domestic Workers to End Child Domestic Work (PROMOTE), funded by the United States Department of Labour (USDOL) and Combating Child Labour through Education Project, funded by the Government of Netherlands.
For further information, contact:
Ms Arum Ratnawati
Chief Technical Adviser of ILO’s Child and Domestic Workers Project
Tel.: +6221 391 3112 ext. 122
Ms Dede Sudono
ILO’s Programme Coordinator for Child Labour and Education
Tel. : +6221 391 3112 ext. 126
Ms Gita Lingga
ILO’s Media Relations Officer
Tel. : +6221 391 3112 ext. 115