Activities for Preventing and Combating Child Labour in Moldova 2003-2010

Moldova is one of the countries most seriously affected by the worst forms of child labour (WFCL) in South Eastern Europe such as: trafficking for labour and sexual exploitation, street work, illicit activities (begging, petty theft and drug peddling) and hazardous work in agriculture. The prevalence of the WFCL has disastrous effects on the safety, health and well-being of children. One third of the 145 school-age children sampled in the ILO-IPEC 2004 Rural Child Labour Study reported that their parents force them to work; and two thirds stated they are punished if they fail to work or perform poorly. Migration has left thousands children outside the care of both parents. Many of these “social orphans are at risk of abuse, neglect and labour/sexual exploitation. Urgent action was and is still needed to eliminate these practices.