About one and a half billion children lack access to any form of family support as well as any kind of cash benefits, a joint report by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has revealed.
While calling for an extension of social protection to alleviate the challenges confronting children worldwide, the report noted that social protection reduces family poverty and vulnerability, thereby, diminishing key drivers of child labour.
The report said too little progress has been made in ensuring that all children enjoy social protection.
In his reaction to the findings, the Director-General of the ILO, Guy Ryder noted: “There are many reasons to invest in universal social protection but eliminating child labour has to be one of the most compelling, given its pernicious impact on children’s rights and wellbeing.”
The report highlighted that governments have a range of policies they can deploy to promote social protection, saying if policymakers do not act decisively, the COVID-19 pandemic, ongoing conflict, rising poverty, and climate change will only increase the prevalence of child labour.
The report further stated that more than 160 million children worldwide – one in 10 children aged 5-17 – are still engaged in child labour, and progress has stalled since 2016.
To strengthen social protection systems for the prevention and elimination of child labour, the report called for the closing of the social protection coverage gap for children; build integrated social protection systems.
It submitted that reducing child labour will be easier if countries have a social protection system that provides adequate benefits throughout the life cycle, from child and family benefits, maternity and unemployment benefits to old-age pensions, as well as health protection.
It also called for the strengthening of the strong political commitment that already exists to end child labour and establish universal social protection to strengthen consensus for action.
SOurce: Guardian.ng
