By Brian Okoth
At least 160 million children globally are engaged in child labour, with Africa hosting a majority of the victims, the United Nations Child Rights agency says.
This was revealed in a report on Monday, June 12, when the global community marked the World Day Against Child Labour.
“That (160 million) is almost one in ten children worldwide,” the UN report said.
Calls for social justice and protection of children against juvenile exploitation are increasing by the day.
Grim statistics
Africa ranks highest among regions with many children engaged in forced labour, according to the UN report.
There are about 72 million children in Africa subjected to juvenile exploitation, representing one out of every five children on the continent.
Asia and Pacific regions collectively have 62 million people engaged in child labour, with seven out of every 100 children being victims of the exploitation.
“The Africa and the Asia and the Pacific regions together account for almost nine out of every ten children in child labour worldwide,” the report says.
“The remaining child labour population is divided among the Americas (11 million), Europe and Central Asia (6 million), and the Arab States (1 million).”
Middle-income countries
In terms of incidence, 5 per cent of children are in child labour in the Americas, 4 per cent in Europe and Central Asia, and 3 per cent in the Arab States, added the survey.
Nine per cent of all children in lower-middle-income countries and 7 per cent of all children in upper-middle-income countries are in child labour, according to the report.
Middle-income countries are home to at least 84 million children engaged in forced labour.
The World Economic Forum has proposed education, supporting journalists who expose child labour, making ethical investments and advocating for a labelling initiative to certify products as the key measures towards ending child slavery.
During the 111th Session of the International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland held between June 5 and 16, there were increased calls for governments world over to rein in child exploitation.
