Child labour still exists and children, mostly from poor families, are forced to work in hazardous conditions despite facing physical, mental and social exploitation from employers. Such children are deprived of living their childhood while many also miss the opportunity of attending schools.
This special day was first observed in 2002 by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), a United Nations agency. As per a latest report by the ILO and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), child labour has increased to 160 million worldwide.
This year, the theme of World Day Against Child Labour is 'Act Now: End Child Labour'. Amid the coronavirus pandemic and global crisis, there has been a drastic surge in child labour across the world due to people facing employment woes.
Report suggests that the progress or improvement that was brought up earlier for World Day Against Child Labour before COVID-19 has now declined. So, the responsibility falls on those who are in power and can end it to give these children a bright future.
