Africa must step up bid to stop all forms of child labour, exploitation

As the world strives to end child labour, African governments find themselves at a crucial turning point.

Despite global promises, the International Labour Organisation indicates that 160 million children still work today, with 79 million of them working in hazardous work.

Shockingly though, these statistics are skewed against Sub-Saharan Africa. While Asia and Latin America record positive shifts in getting more children out of child labour Sub-Saharan Africa still lags behind.

With new investments flowing into Africa, it’s vital for governments to seize this moment and protect children from exploitation. African leaders must prioritise the fight against child labour.

The primary drivers of this child labour epidemic are systemic, normalised poverty, barriers to education, and largely dysfunctional families with limited skillful parenting. Financial hardships force families to rely on their children’s labour for survival.

In Uganda for instance, the national child labour rate stands alarmingly high at 40 per cent, with a significant portion engaged in agriculture, particularly in coffee production. This is not confined to Uganda.

In neighbouring Kenya, a study by Terres des Hommes Netherlands, in partnership with Investing in Children and their Societies, revealed that in parts of the country like Busia County, up to 59 per cent of children are engaged in child labour with many working for between 21 and 56 hours per week as domestic helps, in mineral mines or to provide cheap and exploitative labour in farms.

Terre des Hommes Netherlands, an international NGO, has been working for years in Africa and Asia to prevent and end child labour. From our experience, ending child labour requires a comprehensive approach and effort from all stakeholders.

Consequently, we have launched the Magic Mica campaign to compel governments to encourage private sector companies to eliminate child labour. This can be done in various ways such as agreements with companies and NGOs stipulating elimination of child labour and by supporting programmes meant to end child labour in specific sectors.

African governments can also work with trade associations and NGOs to develop tools to support SMEs to take steps. As a child rights organisation, we envision that by 2029, all supply chains of products and raw materials should be free of child labour. Our governments must be part of the solution and enact and enforce robust measures to prevent child labour. Emerging and unregulated industries such as exploration in the mica industry in Madagascar, must be discouraged.

There has been notable progress made by individual governments. For instance, Kenyan government in 2023 developed the National Child Labour Policy in partnership with TdH NL and other ley industry players.

Existing laws often have gaps and inconsistencies, failing to provide adequate protection. For instance, Uganda’s minimum working age is lower than the age for compulsory education, and its occupational safety and health regulations do not cover the agriculture sector sufficiently. 

Providing financial support to families, ensuring access to education, and promoting vocational training for out-of-school youths are essential steps. Governments should also invest in community awareness programmes to highlight the detrimental effects of child labour on health and development.

Moreover, ethical sourcing and social compliance in supply chains must be prioritised. Governments can mandate that companies adhere to strict social compliance standards and engage in third-party certification processes.

This ensures businesses take responsibility for eradicating child labour within their supply chains. Initiatives like Fair Trade and Rainforest Alliance, while valuable, must be reinforced with governmental oversight to prevent any lapses.

Lastly, multi-stakeholder collaboration is vital. The success of such initiatives hinges on the commitment of all parties involved to uphold the rights of children. The stakes are high, and the cost of inaction is measured in the futures of millions of children.