Stop child labor together!

More protection against exploitative child labor is necessary

Kindernothilfe warns of the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the lives of working children and adolescents

For the international day against exploitative child labor on 12. June Kindernothilfe refers to the urgent need for action: For the first time in 20 years, the number of children working worldwide is increasing again.

In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic is exacerbating the catastrophic situation for many girls and boys. This is also shown by the results of an updated Kindernothilfe study on the "Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the lives of working children and adolescents".

Children and adolescents who participated in the study in six countries describe there how much their situation has deteriorated. The 17-year-old Alejandra reports: “It was the most difficult when my family and I did not have enough to eat.” In addition, many children and young people have lost touch at school, “Online lessons were a problem, because many of us didn't have a phone. "

Kindernothilfe and its partners fear that many children are no longer able to go to school without support and are instead threatened with exploitative child labor.

"Together with our local partner organizations, we are committed to protecting against exploitative child labor and promoting girls and boys," said Gottfried Mernyi, Managing Director of Kindernothilfe Austria. "In addition, we are calling for a rapid ban on exploitative child labor in global supply chains in our“ Stop Child Labor ”campaign, which we have carried out together with the Dreikönigsaktion, Fairtrade, Jugend Eine Welt and Weltumspendenarbeiten."

In order to emphasize this demand for legal measures also in the direction of Austrian politics, Kindernothilfe calls for a broad participation campaign: www.kinderarbeitstoppen.at/mach-mit.

Further information on the use of Kindernothilfe against exploitative child labor can be found at: www.kinderothilfe.at