The International Labor Organization (ILO) on Monday said that the economic crisis is threatening the increase the number in child laborers. It further said that girls in particular are in danger of being pushed to work at an early age.
Girls account for approximately 46 percent of all child workers, according to the report. It further said that 53 million girls are considered working under the worst form of child labor. Of these, 20 million are aged less than 12 years old.
Global crisis
ILO’s Director Linda Wirth revealed that as per record of ILO, more than 100 million girls engaged in child labor are exposed in the worst forms of child labor including agriculture, domestic work, manufacturing, pyrotechnics, mining and quarrying, sexual exploitation and those involving armed groups.
The Labor organization report noted that the increase in the number of girls being forced to work is linked to the fact that many societies give preference to educating boys than girls. In most countries of the world, boys and girls continue to be treated differently in terms of access to education. Of the 16 percent of the world’s population who are unable to read or write a simple statement, almost two out of three are women,” the report said.
Situation in the Philippines
Director Linda Wirth, however, said that in the Philippines, there is more number of boys than girls who drop out of school.
“Here, boys enter workforce. So girls have more chance of finishing school,” said Labor and Employment Assistant Secretary Ma. Teresa Soriano.
But the report further said that girls are more likely to be victims of the “double burden” situation. They often have the double burden, which is a gender issue. They are working outside but they are also expected to help inside the homes more than the boys.
Wirth added that one of the major issues in girls who engage in child labor is that the kind of work they do leads to invisibility, which then leads to abuse and exploitation.
Other factors that can push up the number of child laborers, the ILO statement said, are cuts in national education budgets and a decline in the remittances of overseas workers.
Meanwhile, the Labor department assured the public that they are cooperating with government agencies, non-government organizations and private institutions in combating the burgeoning problem of child labor in the country. The Labor department is focusing on designing programs for the parents of the child laborers.
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) observed that children are being forced to work by their parents simply because they need additional income. They see their children as way out of poverty. Hence, DOLE helps provide livelihood programs for the parents.
The Department of Education (DepEd), on the other hand, said that it has been coordinating with various agencies regarding the right of children to quality education.
“The child laborers can be provided learning programs. There are no time constraints and no limitations,” said Cecil Nayve of the Bureau of Alternative Learning System of the Department of Education (DepED).
Soriano said, “Part of our intervention is the work values and family values. We are hoping that with the programs that we are doing, which are community-centered, it can help eliminate the worst form of child labor.
With reports from the Manila Times Online
