Social finance and child labour: Significant progress made in Soubré

Soubré, Ivory Coast, June 14, 2024 – The International Labour Organization (ILO), in partnership with several key stakeholders, organized a launch workshop on social finance to combat child labour in Cote d’Ivoire. This event, which took place from June 10 to 14, 2024 in Soubré, brought together representatives of the government, non-governmental organizations, financial institutions and associations of agricultural producers.

Despite constant efforts, child labour remains a worrying problem in Côte d'Ivoire. According to data from the Multiple Indicator Survey (MICS 2016), 18.5% of children aged 5 to 17 are still involved in work to be abolished, including a significant proportion in dangerous activities. These figures persist particularly in the sectors of agriculture, artisanal mining and domestic work.

However, progress has been made with the adoption of the National Action Plan (PAN) to combat child labour, the implementation of the Child Labour Observation and Monitoring System (SOSTECI), and the development of a national strategy for sustainable cocoa. Financial inclusion is a crucial lever in this fight, allowing families to access financial services and escape poverty. Additionally, promoting decent work for adults and youth of working age can reduce the economic pressure that pushes families to resort to child labour.

This workshop was crucial for several reasons: it made it possible to create synergies and strengthen existing partnerships while developing new ones. It also raised awareness among stakeholders of the importance of social finance in the fight against child labour. Finally, it resulted in the development of a common and coherent strategy, aligned with the objectives of the projects, the ILO and national priorities.

The workshop covered several essential themes to combat child labour through financial inclusion. Activities included presentations on the ACCEL Africa and ENACTE projects, discussions on opportunities for synergies with the financial sector, mapping exercises of financial inclusion actors, and the development of collaboration strategies. In addition, awareness sessions on fundamental rights at work and child labour, workshops on assessing child labour risks, and co-creation sessions to develop prototypes of innovative financial solutions were organized.

The workshop helped to strengthen understanding of the links between child labour and financial inclusion among the participants: "This workshop was a considerable and enriching contribution. Such initiatives deserve to be further popularized in order to enable financial sector to fully grasp its leading role and to understand the means by which it can constitute a major player in the fight against the scourge of child labour." (Representative of a financial institution)

Results include the creation of 11 prototypes of innovative financial products aimed at helping vulnerable populations and preventing child labour. The prototypes developed focus on strengthening the economic autonomy of families, in particular by improving access to financial services and increasing income. The focus is on integrating technology solutions, such as mobile applications and payment terminals, to facilitate transactions and financial management. Education, particularly female literacy and financial education is also considered an essential lever to combat child labour. Finally, financial innovations (insurance and savings) and practices for adapting to climate change are highlighted to strengthen the resilience of agricultural communities and ensure the sustainability of their income. Collaboration between different stakeholders is at the heart of these initiatives, highlighting the importance of partnerships for positive and lasting social impact.

In addition, close collaboration between key players in the financial sector, cooperatives, NGOs and government institutions was deemed essential. It will allow the establishment of a platform for the exchange of information and coordination, as well as regular meetings aimed at developing solutions adapted to the needs of vulnerable populations, with particular emphasis on awareness-raising, financial education and promoting inclusive financial products and services.

The next steps will include the implementation of these prototypes and the coordinated monitoring of the defined actions, thus ensuring continued mobilization of key actors for the eradication of child labour in Côte d'Ivoire.

The ENACTE and ACCEL Africa projects

The ILO, with its partners have launched two major projects to eradicate child labour: the ENACTE program and the ACCEL Africa project.

The ENACTE program, supported by the European Union and Switzerland, is implemented in the Nawa region, one of the main cocoa production areas in Côte d'Ivoire. It aims to promote the rights of children and adolescents through access to education and basic social services, while providing decent work opportunities for young people and their parents.

The ACCEL Africa project, currently in its second phase (2023-2028), targets the acceleration of the elimination of child labour in the cocoa and gold supply chains in Côte d'Ivoire. This project focuses on improving policy, legal and institutional frameworks to combat child labour, and creating innovative solutions to address the root causes of child labour.