Egypt's Multi-Faceted Approach: Digitalizing Inspections, Establishing Strong Partnerships on the Eliminating Child Labour, and Promoting Awareness

Digitalizing the National Inspection System

In collaboration with the Ministry of Labour (MOL), ACCEL Africa has played a crucial role in digitalizing Egypt's national inspection system. This initiative aims to improve the identification and reporting of child labour cases, fostering transparency and accountability. As part of the program, a series of four training workshops were launched on May 9, 2023, under the esteemed presence of Mr. Hassan Shehata, Minister of Labour, and Mr. Eric Oechslin, Director of the ILO Office for Egypt and Eritrea.

The workshops targeted 116 MOM labour inspectors, comprising 39 females and 77 males, with the objective of enhancing their capacities to effectively utilize the updated digitized inspection system. Ensuring sound application of this system for transparent reporting is a priority, with follow-up visits being conducted to verify its implementation.

Better Work Egypt Programme Annual Report 2023

The Better Work Egypt Programme's Annual Report for 2023 highlights the progress made in eliminating child labour within targeted garment sector enterprises. The report, titled "Better Work Egypt Annual Report 2023: An Industry and Compliance Review," provides an overview of the program's interventions and efforts to strengthen the industry while addressing non-compliance issues identified in assessment reports.

This report specifically acknowledges the legislative developments aimed at eliminating child labour. Notably, Egypt has published the Hazardous Worklist for Children and increased the minimum age for employment and apprenticeship. Encouragingly, the report shows no instances of non-compliance regarding child labourers (workers under the age of 15) in the recorded period, indicating significant improvement compared to previous years. However, some non-compliance issues were identified concerning aspects of work for young workers (under 18), such as documentation and excessive working hours for apprentices.

Joint Efforts Against Worst Forms of Child Labour and Trafficking

To combat the worst forms of child labour and trafficking in persons, ACCEL Africa, the Federation of Egyptian Industries, and the Better Work Egypt Programme have formed a partnership. Together, they conducted two workshops aimed at raising awareness among 59 employers' representatives, comprising 34 men and 25 women. The workshops focused on protecting businesses from engaging in such practices and achieving better compliance with international labour standards.

These workshops served as important platforms for educating employers on the consequences of participating in the worst forms of child labour and trafficking. By fostering awareness and understanding, the initiative promotes a responsible and ethical approach to employment, ensuring the protection and well-being of vulnerable individuals.