World Day Against Child Labour, Theme, Significance

World Day Against Child Labour

World Day Against Child Labour is observed every year on June 12. The day serves as a reminder of the urgent need to protect children from exploitation and uphold their rights.

About World Day Against Child Labour

• World Day Against Child Labour is a global observance marked on June 12 every year, serving as a crucial reminder to build a world free of child labour, where children worldwide are not forced into work at the expense of their education and well-being.
• History: The International Labour Organization (ILO) first observed World Day Against Child Labour on June 12, 2002, at its Geneva headquarters.
  • Since then, it has been marked globally to shine a light on this ongoing crisis.
• Theme: The theme for World Day Against Child Labour is “Red card to child labour: Fair play for children, decent work for adults”
• In India, the government has implemented a National Policy on Child Labour since 1987. This policy emphasises both the rehabilitation of affected children and the need to tackle the root cause of poverty by improving the economic well-being of their families.

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Child Labour Latest Data and Trends

• Global Child Labour: In 2024, nearly 138 million children were engaged in child labour worldwide, with 54 million in hazardous work. Africa has the highest child labour rates (72 million children), followed by Asia and the Pacific (62 million children).
• India: In 2011, India’s Census data showed that 10.1 million children, or 3.9% of the total child population aged 5-14, were working, either as “main workers” or “marginal workers”.
  • This data represents a decrease from the 1.26 crore working children in 2001, but the issue persists, with poverty, lack of education, and economic distress identified as key drivers.
• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): SDG Target 8.7 aims to end child labour in all its forms by 2025, but this target is unlikely to be met due to persistent challenges.