A delegate to the 6th Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour participates on the Gender Lab

Gender and child labour: ACCEL Africa’s Gender Lab at the 6th Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour

At the 6th Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour, ACCEL Africa contributed an interactive Gender Lab designed to highlight how gender inequalities shape child labour and access to opportunity.

18 February 2026

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The Lab offered participants a short, structured experience, approximately 10 minutes, inviting them to reflect on how social norms influence household decisions, labour patterns and educational outcomes.

Why gender matters in child labour

Child labour does not affect children in the same way and gender roles and expectations often determine, amongst others:

Who takes on unpaid care responsibilities
Who manages the household income
Who works or continues schooling
Who participates in decision-making

In many communities, girls face a double burden: labour in fields or family businesses alongside domestic and care work. Boys, meanwhile, may face pressure to contribute income early, shaped by expectations around masculinity and provision.

By placing gender at the centre of discussion, the Lab aimed to show that preventing child labour requires understanding and addressing these structural dynamics.

A delegate to the 6th Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour holds a pledge on gender and the elimination of child labour

The Gender Lab was designed as a participatory space. Visitors were first introduced to a series of prompts that framed the discussion and encouraged reflection. Then, participants were then invited to respond to questions displayed on a wall, amongst others:

Who should provide childcare?
Who controls household income?
Who decides if children go to school?

Using stickers, participants visually expressed their views. The resulting display provided an immediate representation of perceptions surrounding gender roles.

Participants shared their perspectives on gender dynamics through an interactive survey.

This simple interaction encouraged discussion among visitors and opened conversations about how norms within households and communities influence children’s engagement in labour.

Beyond identifying challenges, the Lab also invited participants to share ideas and existing practices. Contributions focused on areas such as:

Community-based childcare solutions
Women’s economic empowerment
Redistribution of unpaid care work
Engagement of men as allies
Gender-responsive national action plans
Youth and female leadership

Each idea responded to three questions:

What problem are you addressing?
What is new about your approach?
How does it reduce child labour?

The collection of proposals created a visual map of ongoing and potential actions, demonstrating the diversity of strategies being implemented or envisioned.

Before leaving, participants were invited to share a pledge. These reflections formed a collective display of commitments, highlighting that eliminating child labour is not only about enforcement and programming, but also about transforming social expectations.

The Gender Lab reflected ACCEL Africa’s commitment to integrating gender-transformative approaches across its activities. By embedding gender considerations into prevention strategies, the project aims to address not only the symptoms of child labour but also the norms and inequalities that sustain it.