ILO ADDRESS project supports the Ministry of Labour
Malawi’s Minister of Labour Launches the Advocacy and Communication Strategy on Child Labour Elimination
On 29th June 2023, Minister of Labour Honourable Ms. Agnes Nyalonje launched the first ever Advocacy and Communication Strategy on child labour elimination in Malawi. The Advocacy and Communication Strategy has been developed to raise awareness, knowledge and understanding of child labour issues in various sectors in Malawi. It supports government, social partners, civil society and other key stakeholders in advocating for the elimination of child labour and guide the implementation of advocacy activities both nationally and locally
29 June 2023
Speaking at the event, Ms. Nyalonje said the strategy would improve action against child labour in a country which has over 2 million children involved in child labour, according to the 2015 National statistical office survey.
She added that most of children involved in child labour are in the agricultural sector and that others are employed domestically.
“This strategy is aimed and designed to bring order and to make sure that we can reach as many people as possible with messages because its only when every one of us takes part that we can end child labour. We cannot eliminate child labour if we only target a portion of the district leaving out huge coverage. We need to develop interventions that will address child labour in the whole country”, said Ms. Nyalonje.
Speaking during the commemoration, Senior Chief Mabulabo commended the Government and the International Labour Organization (ILO) for developing initiatives aimed at eliminating child labour in his chiefdom.“I am so delighted to host this national event and I am here pledging my support towards every intervention as long as it brings solutions to the problem we have. Child labour is evil, and we need to all join hands and eliminate it,” said the traditional leader.
The ILO Technical Officer Mr. Gracious Ndalama urged the Government to ensure that the child labour policy is finalized and operationalized.
Mr. Ndalama, who spoke on behalf of the ILO Country Office Director for Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique, further appealed to the Government and all stakeholders to ensure the Durban call to action on the elimination of child labour is implemented.
As part of the commemoration, the Minister handed over learning and sporting materials to schools within the areas as one way of encouraging children to remain in school.
The function was spiced up with different traditional performances and it was covered live on Mzimba Community Radio station courtesy of ILO’s Addressing Decent Work Deficits and Improving Access to Rights in Malawi’s Tobacco Sector (ADDRESS) project funded by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Malawi.