ILO equips journalists with skills to report on child labour

Entebbe, Uganda, 25 September, 2024 – The International Labour Organization (ILO), through the Accelerating Action for the Elimination of Child Labour in Supply Chains in Africa (ACCEL Africa project), has equipped journalists across Africa with the skills and knowledge to effectively report on child labour in their respective countries.

© ILO Emmanuel

© ILO Emmanuel

The ILO ACCEL Africa Project gathered journalists from Malawi, Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, and Ghana with the primary goal of accelerating action toward the elimination of child labour on the African continent, particularly in the cotton, tea, gold, and cocoa supply chains.

Angelica Muñoz, Knowledge Sharing Officer at ACCEL Africa, told the participating journalists that a single training would not end child labour but that collective advocacy through the media could bring results. "I know you have seen how powerful the media is. If all of you could write articles or produce films about child labour, we would see significant changes and actions from various stakeholders," Angelica said.

Helen Shok-Jok, a Nigerian journalist working at Voice of Nigeria (VoN), shared that she has participated in many previous trainings that have shaped her understanding of journalism, but none focused on reporting on child labour. Shok-Jok further applauded the ILO through the ACCEL Africa Project for the timely training, which she said will greatly shape her and her fellow journalists’ reporting across the continent. "I have participated in similar trainings, but I want to thank the ILO team for this opportunity to learn how to report on child labour in a more impactful way. I commit to doing more work on child labour in Nigeria until it is eliminated," Shok-Jok said.

Jacqueline Banya Acayo, the National Project Officer for the ILO ACCEL Africa Project, noted that the training is timely, given the rising cases of child labour in Africa’s supply chains.
According to Banya, journalists have a critical role to play in advocacy and the fight against child labour on the continent. "With this training, I hope there will be improvements in how you report on child labour. With courage and determination, I am optimistic that you will make a difference," Banya told the journalists. She further explained that the motivation behind the training is to combat child labour in Africa, which can only be achieved through awareness, advocacy, and media efforts, where journalists play a key role.

According to ILO data, 160 million children aged 5 to 17 years globally are involved in child labour, with 49.4 percent of them working in hazardous conditions. In Sub-Saharan Africa alone, 23.9 percent of children are involved in child labour, while Northern Africa and Western Asia account for 7.8 percent of the global total.

Apollo Onzoma, the Assistant Commissioner of Industrial Relations at Uganda's Ministry of Gender, Labour & Social Development, revealed that the data in Uganda is alarming, with increasing cases of child labour in supply chains. Onzoma further noted that children in Uganda are often engaged in hazardous work, driven by poverty and lack of access to education.

"You, as journalists, play a key role in creating awareness and sensitizing the public, which strongly supports efforts to eliminate child labour. The media can improve the overall effectiveness of systems designed to tackle child labour," Onzoma said.

He added, "As journalists, your roles are crucial in raising issues through public dissemination, education, mobilizing public opinion, and highlighting cases for learning and action." He further emphasized that child labour is not only a violation of fundamental principles and rights at work, but it also undermines sustainable development. Onzoma stated that Uganda has placed ending child labour at the center of its National Development Plan IV (NDP IV), Vision 2030, and has ratified national and international laws, policies, and implementation plans on child labour.

© ILO Emmanuel

© ILO Emmanuel

Caroline Khamati Mugalla, Director of the ILO Country Office in Dar es Salaam, commended the journalists for their interest in learning about child labour. Mugalla noted that Africa is still lagging behind in the fight against child labour and that it is time for journalists to bring the issue to light, given the high numbers of children involved. "I have seen commitment and passion from you journalists during this training, and we need to keep the fire burning. We have addressed child labour from several angles," Mugalla said.

Global progress against child labour has stalled since 2016. Without mitigation measures, the number of children involved in child labour is projected to rise from 160 million in 2020 to 168.9 million by the end of 2022.