Project Overview

The overall objective of this Action is to contribute to elimination of the worst forms of child labour in seasonal agriculture.

The purpose of the Action is to enhance national and local capacity for the elimination of the worst forms of child labour in seasonal agriculture as well as providing services to children at risk and their families. The Beneficiary of the project is Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Services (MoFLSS)- General Directorate of Labour (DG Labour); the Contracting Authority is MoFLSS, Directorate of European Union and Financial Assistance. The project will be implemented in close collaboration with employers’ and workers’ organisations, Ministry of National Education (MoNE), Ministry of Interior (MoI), Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MoAF), Turkish Employment Agency (İŞKUR), municipal authorities, universities, Non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

At the international level, the project will contribute to the better implementation of the relevant International Standards which are leading and guiding the world of work where ILO is a normative UN organization. In this respect, the Action will support implementation of ILO Conventions No.138 Minimum Age and No.182 Worst Forms of Child Labour to which Turkey is one of signatories; and contribute to reach Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8 of the 2030 Agenda on decent work and economic growth, and specifically to target 8.7 calling for immediate measures to secure the prohibition and elimination of theWFCL, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms. Linking with SDG 8.7, the Action will also contribute to “Outcome 7: Adequate and effective protection at work for all” of ILO’s Programme and Budget (2020-2021) and United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (2021-2025) in Turkey.

Considering agriculture sector, working in mobile and temporary agricultural labour except for family business is identified as one of the worst forms of child labour by the National Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (2017-2023) due to the nature of seasonal agricultural work which exposes families to all types of risks to which children are most vulnerable. In the 11th Development Plan, which is one of the main policy documents of Turkey, special measures related to the elimination of child labour are included. Regarding the fight against child labour within the National Employment Strategy (2014-2023) prepared under the coordination of the MoFLSS; in 2023, it is aimed to reduce the worst forms of child labour in heavy and hazardous work in industry, working on the streets and in seasonal migrant temporary agriculture, and to reduce it to less than 2 percent of child labour in other areas.

The project objectives are closely aligned with the above mentioned National Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (2017-2023), 11th Development Plan and National Employment Strategy (2014-2023).

Project Outcomes

Outcome 1: Working/at-risk children are withdrawn or prevented from work in seasonal agriculture; families, employers, agriculture intermediaries and village heads abstain from or take action to combat child labour
Outcome 2: MoFLSS, workers’ and employers’ organisations, gendarmerie, NGOs take coordinated action for policy development and implementation to eliminate the WFCL
Outcome 3: Willingness among general public and target groups for eliminating child labour in seasonal agriculture is enhanced
Outcome 4: Advocacy for, formulation, planning and implementation of policies to eliminate child labour in seasonal agriculture is enhanced.
Outcome 5: Coordination and cooperation between stakeholders in areas of implementation and management of child labour interventions at national and local level is strengthened.

Results:

1. On-site education, guidance, counselling and rehabilitation services were provided to 12.000 children.
2. 2.000 family members of the working/at-risk children in seasonal agriculture were referred to vocational and generic training programmes in order to improve life and occupational skills.
3. Trainings on the negative aspects of child labour in seasonal agriculture and related legislation were provided to 200 agriculture intermediaries, 500 employers and 200 village heads.
4. 12.000 children were equipped and living conditions of seasonal agricultural families in settlement areas were improved.
5. Central and local capacity of MoFLSS were improved in the field of planning, managing, coordinating, implementing and monitoring for the elimination of WFCL.
6. Capacities of gendarmerie and NGOs were improved in combatting child labour.
7. Child Labour Monitoring (CLM) and Tracking System was established and existing e-METIP system was improved
8. A communication campaign was developed and implemented towards general public, children, families, employers, decision-makers, school principals, teachers, intermediaries, and media.
9. Scientific and technical studies were carried out for the assessment of child labour, its causes, consequences and review of good practices as well as developing policy recommendations on the elimination of child labour and improving living and working conditions in seasonal agriculture.
10. A cross sectoral working groups were established to map existing child labour reporting mechanisms, identify adverse incentives and recommend effective enforcement mechanisms at each point in the agricultural production supply chain.
11. Meetings and field visits were taken place in order to ensure efficient coordination and cooperation among relevant field teams and stakeholders.

Target Groups

• Children working as seasonal agricultural workers in the region of permanent residence
• Children participating in seasonal agricultural migration together with their families and working as seasonal migrant agricultural workers
• Children participating in seasonal agricultural migration together with their families and working in the house/tent,
• Children participating in seasonal agricultural migration together with their families but not working,
• Family members of the children in seasonal agriculture,
• Representatives of agricultural production supply chain (such as farmers, intermediaries and employers/garden owners) in the selected provinces,
• Village heads, imams, representatives of the local media in selected provinces,
• School principals and teachers in selected provinces,
• Central and local staff of MoFLSS as well as local authorities,
• Staff of relevant public institutions at local and national level,
• Staff of relevant social partners,
• Staff of relevant NGOs

Project Provinces:

Şanlıurfa, Mardin, Adıyaman, Diyarbakır, Adana, Mersin, Hatay, İzmir, Manisa, Ankara, Eskişehir, Konya, Malatya, Ordu, Bursa and Düzce.

Donor

European Union (EU), IPA II

Duration

1 October 2020 – 31 December 2023 (40 months)