Achieving Reduction of Child Labour In Support of Education (ARISE)

Eliminating child labour especially through the support of education in tobacco-growing areas mainly Tabora region.

ILO’s International Programme for the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) started its operations in 1992 and aims at the progressive elimination of child labour worldwide, with the eradication of the worst forms an urgent priority. These efforts have resulted in hundreds of thousands of children being withdrawn from work and rehabilitated or prevented from entering the workforce.

The global number of children in child labour has declined by one third since 2000, from 246 million to 168 million children. However, sub-Saharan Africa continues to be the region with the highest incidence of child labour with 59 million children in child labour.

Tanzania has ratified ILO Convention 182 on the worst forms of child labour and ILO Convention 138 on the minimum age for admission to employment and work. These Conventions have also been translated into national laws and regulations.

Nevertheless, enforcement and implementation of these laws remains a major challenge. Awareness on child labour continues to be low. It is within this context that the ARISE program will be implemented.

Brief background

In Tanzania, there are more than 4 million children in child labor. About 29 percent of children aged 5-17 years, are engaged in child labor in various economic sectors, including agriculture, domestic work, fishing, and mining industries (ILFS, 2014).

The ARISE program, therefore comes as an initiative between the ILO, Japan Tobacco International (JTI) and Winrock International was developed in alignment with national, regional and local government policies to improve regulatory frameworks in support of improving labor practices specifically eliminating child labor especially through the support of education in tobacco-growing areas mainly Tabora region. The project is already being implemented in Malawi, Zambia and Brazil. In 2015, Tanzania was added as one of the beneficiary countries.

Objectives

The ARISE program aims at reducing the worst forms of child labour in tobacco-growing communities in Tanzania.
The program has the following three objectives:
  • Child labor reduction through improvements in education access, awareness and community empowerment
  • Increased economic empowerment and social mobilization of tobacco- growing communities to combat child labor
  • Improved regulatory framework, capacity building and institutional development for the elimination of child labor.

Outcomes/Expected Deliverables

  • By the end of the project child labour is reduced through improvements in Education access, awareness, and community empowerment
  • By the end of the project communities are mobilised and empowered to lay foundations for the creation of child labour free zones
  • By the end of the project, national, district and local capacity to implement and enforce the legal, regulatory and policy frameworks for the elimination of child labour is be enhanced