Giving Compass' Take:
- Al Jazeera discusses how child labor is increasing for the first time in two decades and that more children will likely be put at risk without access to adequate social protection.
- Why has COVID-19 caused setbacks in the fight against child labor? How can you advocate for universal child benefits to protect at-risk children?
- Read about how COVID-19 has forced children into labor and begging.
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Child labour has increased to 160 million – the first rise in two decades – and that number could swell by millions more because of the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, the UN said on Thursday.
A report by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and International Labour Organization (ILO) found 8.4 million children were pushed into child labour over the last four years and nine million more are at risk of a similar path by the end of 2022 as a result of COVID-19.
And the worst-case scenario is even more sobering. An ILO simulation model showed the number of children at risk could rise to 46 million if they do not have access to critical social protection coverage.
“The new estimates are a wake-up call. We cannot stand by while a new generation of children is put at risk,” said ILO Director-General Guy Ryder in a press release.
“We are at a pivotal moment and much depends on how we respond. This is a time for renewed commitment and energy to turn the corner and break the cycle of poverty and child labour.”
Read the full article about the fight against child labor at Al Jazeera.