LABOR is honor, goes a popular saying. But not if it involves the exploitation of children.
Children have the right to a life free from violence, exploitation and abuse, thus ending child labor is a must.
According to the United Nations, around 168 million children remain trapped in child labor and many of them live in areas affected by conflicts and disasters. Millions of children are exposed to multiple forms of abuses such as sexual exploitation and sex trafficking, forced labor, internal displacement, among others. Disasters and armed conflicts make them even more vulnerable to abuses as poor women and children are preyed upon by human trafficking syndicates.
The situation requires a multi-disciplinary protection system, which involves stricter implementation of anti-trafficking and anti-child labor laws, providing livelihood opportunities to parents so they can send their children to school, coordinated response among different concerned agencies and strengthened international cooperation.
In our country, child labor should be addressed with the help of legal measures already in place such as the Anti-Child Labor Law, the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, and the Domestic Workers Act. The Anti-Child Labor Law protects children from being engaged into work outside the protection of their parents or guardians, and that which might endanger their life, safety and development. The Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act protects children from being trafficked through its strengthened provisions which also cover attempted trafficking and accessory or accomplice liability. The Domestic Workers Act deems it unlawful to employ children below 15 years of age as domestic worker, while those who are 15 years old but below 18 years of age are considered as working children and are protected under the Anti-Child Labor Act.
We must strictly implement these laws to end child labor and protect our children from circumstances that will affect their survival and normal development. The time will come when they must work, but for as long as they are children, they must be protected, cared for, and assured their rights as children.
