World Day against Child Labour

NO to child labour – YES to quality education!

UNICEF and ILO in Mongolia jointly mark this day by highlighting the need to ensure access to quality education and investment in the teaching profession.

Press release | 12 June 2015
ULAANBAATAR (ILO News) – Today is World Day against Child Labour. While the rate of children at work is on the decline worldwide, child labour remains a substantial global challenge. UNICEF and International Labour Organization (ILO) estimate that approximately 168 million children aged 5 to 17 years are engaged in some forms of child labour.

This year, the World Day against Child Labour (WDACL) focuses on the importance of quality education as a key step in tackling child labour. Many child labourers do not attend school at all. Others combine school and work but often to the detriment of their education. Lacking adequate education and skills as adults, former child labourers are more likely to end up in poorly paid, insecure work or unemployed. Breaking the poverty-child labour life cycle is a global challenge and education has a key role to play.

UNICEF and ILO in Mongolia jointly mark this day by highlighting the need to ensure access to quality education and investment in the teaching profession. Mr Tim De Meyer, Director of ILO Office for China and Mongolia warned, “although recent statistics reveals a percentage decline in child labour in Mongolia, the absolute number of children engaged in child labour increased from 68,000 in 2003 to 71,000 in 2007, and 94,000 in 2012. Eighty-one per cent of child labor incidents occur in agriculture and animal husbandry and 8 out of 10 working children are boys.” He continued, “this recalls for stronger and continuous action from public authorities, employers, communities and parents.”

Increasing school attendance is the most effective way to reduce child labour. Mongolia has a school attendance rate of almost over 90 per cent. But around 1,755 children aged 6-14 years old are not in school. One of the main causes for not attending school is the need to work (5.9 per cent overall; 0.3 per cent for girls).

“There are strong links between child labour and being out of school, indicating that these challenges must be addressed together in order to achieve two key goals for children: education for all and the elimination of child labour” said UNICEF Mongolia representative, Mr Roberto Benes. “So it is important to develop approaches that improve education access, quality and relevance, so that families not only have the opportunity to invest in their children’s education as an alternative to child labour but also find that the returns to schooling make their investment worthwhile”.

In anticipation to the World Day, the two organizations have joined efforts with schoolteachers, social workers and school-based Child Participation Board members to organize a classroom-based video lesson under the theme “NO to child labour-YES to quality education”. The video on child labour and education has been shown in 650 schools in Ulaanbaatar city and 21 provinces nationwide. Related WDACL awareness raising materials were distributed to all participating schools and communities.

Today a soccer and a dance competition will be organized in Ulaanbaatar. The contestants will be children who are vulnerable to child labour or have been exposed to the worst forms of child labour.

About UNICEF

UNICEF promotes the rights and well-being of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere. For more information about UNICEF Mongolia and its work visit: www.unicef.mn
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For further information, please contact:

Ariunzaya Davaa, Communication Specialist, UNICEF Mongolia, adavaa@unicef.org, Phone: 99112652

About ILO

The International Labour Organization (ILO) is devoted to promoting social justice and internationally recognized human and labour rights, pursuing its founding mission that labour peace is essential to prosperity. Today, the ILO helps advance the creation of decent work and the economic and working conditions that give working people and business people a stake in lasting peace, prosperity and progress. Its tripartite structure provides a unique platform for promoting decent work for all women and men . Its main aims are to promote rights at work, encourage decent employment opportunities, enhance social protection and strengthen dialogue on work-related issues.
For more information, please visit: www.ilo.org

For further information, please contact:

Bolormaa Purevsuren, National Coordinator, ILO Mongolia, bpurevsuren@ilo.org