Dar es Salaam (ILO NEWS): As the World day against child labour 2016 is being marked globally, the ILO in collaboration with the Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Labour, Employment, Parliamentary Affairs and the Disabled, Japan Tobacco International (JTI) and other partners organized a two-day capacity building workshop in Tabora, Tanzania from 21 – 22 June 2016.
Dr. Aggrey Mwanri, Regional Commissioner of Tabora, in his opening speech pointed out that “… Child labour is a global social as well as an economic problem and its solutions are not easy to attain without concrete plans, and each one of us should actively participate and support the Government efforts in eradicating this problem in various sectors – agriculture, mining, in the informal economy among others…”
Dr. Mwanri further noted that the Government addressed child labour, child protection and the rights of the child in the the National Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty (NSGRP) and the Labour Relations act No. 6 (2004).
He further added that, considering the importance of combating the scourge, the Government has included all matters pertaining to child labour, protection and the rights of the child in the National Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty (NSGRP) and the Labour Relations act No. 6 (2004). Accordingly, the Government has established various committees at district and national levels who set up structures to assist efforts in combatting child labour.
During the workshop, tobacco growing area in the Tabora Region was cited as a potential area where a lot work should be done to combat child labour. A new project in the region, Elimination of Child Labour in Tobacco growing communities in Tabora region (ARISE) aims to support Government effort in combatting child labour.
On her part, Ms. Charlotte Goemans, ILO’s Associate Expert on Child Labour and Youth Employment, cautioned that, “…there are currently around 4 million children in Tanzania who are child labourers; this is as much as 29 per cent of all children in Tanzania… We do not want this to continue, we have to break the cycle. …”.
She further reminded participants on the theme of this year’s World Day Against Child Labour, ‘End child Labour in Supply Chains, it’s everyone’s business’ which is perfectly in line with the objectives of the ARISE project which is aimed at effectively eradicating child labour in various sectors but of course with a focus on the agriculture sector.
“ …We should know that the project belongs to you and your communities and not to sponsors/partners... It is for the Government, workers’ and employers’ organizations to manage it and implement it… The other stakeholders will just support it; let us work together and focus on results for our children and communities to thrive…”
Background Information
Tanzania developed its National Action Plan (NAP) for the elimination of the worst forms of child labour (WFCL) way back in 2009. The tool considers the worst forms of child labour as constituting exploitation and gross violation of human rights which takes place at house hold, community, institutions and enterprise levels. Efforts and responses are therefore being addressed at all these levels.
It also emphasizes that power to prevent and influence responses against WFCL would require mainstreaming and designing policies and legislations and procedures that provide for mandated responses by both designated public and all other stakeholders.
The NAP’s cornerstone is thus the realization of the rights of the child which calls for advancement of the social development agenda to protect and restore children’s dignity and wellbeing. The workshop and the new project is therefore one of the new openings to help fulfil children’s rights to survival, development and protection.
