A Guide for Journalists in Fiji on reporting on child abuse, neglect, exploitation, and child labour to support in ensuring safety and well-being for all children in media reporting, has been developed under the ILO MAP16 Project funded by the US Department of Labour.

The Guide was presented to Fijian journalists, for their inputs and feedback at the 2 day training workshop (27-28 April 2022). The final guide will support journalists in their reporting on child labour and other forms of abuse, neglect, and exploitation of children in a manner that is ethical, professional, and sensitive to the needs and rights of children.

“The final publication will serve as a very useful toolkit for journalists in Fiji,” said the Director of the ILO Office for Pacific Island Countries, Matin Karimli. “The guide includes the methodology of interviewing a child, resources on international conventions on child protection and guides to interpreting and understanding Fiji’s national legislation on child labour and children’s rights.”

“The media plays a very powerful and significant role in our community, and with great power does come enormous responsibilities,” said UNICEF Pacific’s Representative, Jonathan Veitch. “We recognize the media as a critical partner in child protection and the fight against child labour. With the media’s communication skills and our technical expertise, we can strengthen our partnership to present stories in a way that does not expose children to additional risks or harm.”

Reporting on child protection issues, including child labour, can place children at risk of reprisals, stigmatization, humiliation, or rejection by their local communities. The Guide and training aim to support journalists to become behaviour change agents who can engage the government, parents, and communities in efforts to prevent and protect children against all forms of violence and harmful practices .


About the ILO Office for Pacific Island Countries
The only tripartite U.N. agency, since 1919 the ILO brings together governments, employers and workers of 187 member States, to set labour standards, develop policies and devise programmes promoting decent work for all women and men. For more information about ILO Pacific and its work for children, follow us on Twitter and Facebook


About MAP16 Project
The ILO Office for PICs is implementing the MAP16 (Measurement, Awareness-raising and Policy engagement) Project to accelerate action against child labour and forced labour, a global project funded by the US Department of Labour (USDOL) that aims to increase the knowledge base, raise awareness, strengthen capacity and conduct policy engagement in support of international efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Target 8.7.

About UNICEF
UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone.

For more information about UNICEF Pacific and its work for children, follow UNICEF Pacific on Twitter and Facebook