Enhanced Knowledge and Capacity of Tripartite Partners to address the Worst Forms of Child Labour in the occupied Palestinian territory
The project supports the global goal of eliminating the worst forms of child labour by 2016 through awareness raising and capacity building initiatives that target government, worker, employer and civil society representatives in the occupied Palestinian territory.
Household poverty is the primary driver of child labour in the occupied Palestinian territory. Over the past decade, Palestinian households have faced rising levels of poverty, unemployment and inflation and many have become dependent on humanitarian aid for day-to-day survival. Much of this is underpinned by the ongoing Israeli occupation and continuing settlement policy, which have stifled the Palestinian economy.
In 2012, 27.2 per cent of children in the occupied Palestinian territory were poor (18.4 per cent in the West Bank, 39.3 per cent in Gaza). In the same year, adult unemployment rates stood at 26 per cent and average real wages decreased due to inflationary pressures . These dynamics create pressures on children to work to support their families.
This is further exacerbated by weaknesses in the education system and the lack of an effective, reliable and comprehensive social security system, which increases the risk of families resorting to child labour.
Adopted in 2006, the ILO’s Global Action Plan to Eliminate Chid Labour sets out a strategy for the elimination of the worst forms of child labour by 2016 through specific interventions at the country level. This includes mainstreaming child labour concerns into national development and policy frameworks and promoting further integration of child labour concerns within the ILO’s overall priorities, particularly Decent Work Country Programmes.
Accordingly, the project seeks to achieve three main objectives:
In 2012, 27.2 per cent of children in the occupied Palestinian territory were poor (18.4 per cent in the West Bank, 39.3 per cent in Gaza). In the same year, adult unemployment rates stood at 26 per cent and average real wages decreased due to inflationary pressures . These dynamics create pressures on children to work to support their families.
This is further exacerbated by weaknesses in the education system and the lack of an effective, reliable and comprehensive social security system, which increases the risk of families resorting to child labour.
Adopted in 2006, the ILO’s Global Action Plan to Eliminate Chid Labour sets out a strategy for the elimination of the worst forms of child labour by 2016 through specific interventions at the country level. This includes mainstreaming child labour concerns into national development and policy frameworks and promoting further integration of child labour concerns within the ILO’s overall priorities, particularly Decent Work Country Programmes.
Project Objectives
The project supports the global goal of eliminating the worst forms of child labour by 2016 through awareness raising and capacity building initiatives that target government, worker, employer and civil society representatives in the occupied Palestinian territory. By promoting a greater understanding of child labour, including its worst forms, national partners can take action to adopt or modify legislation and reinforce their knowledge base on child labour.Accordingly, the project seeks to achieve three main objectives:
- To enhance the knowledge base on child labour in the occupied Palestinian territory.
- To build the capacities of the Ministry of Labour (in the West Bank), and workers’ unions, and employers’ organizations (in the West Bank and Gaza) to address the WFCL more effectively.
- To promote an institutional, legal and policy environment conducive to combatting child labour on a national level.
Main Activities
Raising Awareness
- To raise awareness of partners on child labour issues, IPEC and relevant ILO conventions
- To produce a desk review of relevant literature, assessments, reports and other pertinent information relating to child labour in the oPt, in addition to mapping and assessing the national and normative child labour policy framework to enhance child rights.
- To increase public awareness on child labour issues through a media campaign that includes the production of posters, stickers, broadcast materials and photographs.
Capacity Building
- For government: To provide equipment for the newly established Child Labour Unit at the Ministry of Labour and to organize training sessions for labour inspectors on various forms of child labour including its worst forms.
- For employers: To organize workshops for employers’ organizations on child labour, particularly its worst forms.
- For workers: To organize workshops to build capacity, raise awareness, and ensure effective engagement of workers organizations in combating child labour, and particularly its worst forms.
Policy and Legal framework
- To establish the National Steering Committee on Child Labour (NSC) and provide advice on its composition, function, added value and links to other child rights policies, plans and tools.
- To provide regular technical support to revisit and update the existing list of hazardous work areas for children drafted by the NSC.
Project Outcomes
- Research findings from the desk review and rapid assessment will enhance the knowledge base on child labour in the occupied Palestinian territory.
- Capacity building activities will create an institutional, legal, and policy environment favourable to combatting child labour.
- Training sessions will lead to better trained personnel from the Ministry of Labour, workers’ and employers’ organization that can address the worst forms of child labour and can enforce legislative measures
- Formulation of a national policy for the elimination of child labour