Just three years left to get 160 million children out of child labour
Terre des Hommes Netherlands launches global campaign against child labour. In 2015, world leaders agreed to end child labour by 2025 through the Sustainable Development Goals. However, every day 160 million children are still working in illegal mines, are forced to do domestic work, subjected to begging on the streets, are being sexually exploited, and risking their lives.
Increase in the number of children in child labour
As a response, Terre des Hommes Netherlands (TdH NL) launches #TheClockisTicking, a global campaign calling on immediate action in the fight against child labour. Starting on World Day Against Child Labour on 12 June 2022, the campaign aims to spread awareness about child labour through a manifest for world leaders to take action.
The SDGs were formed in 2015 and were aimed to be reached by 2030. However, the collective agreement among 193 member states of the United Nations was to end child labour by 2025, five years prior to the other goals.
At least 11,000 children in mica mines Madagascar
At the beginning of 2020, for the first time in 20 years, there has been an increase in the number of children in child labour. The subsequent corona pandemic has only exacerbated this increase in child labor*. The deteriorating economic situation is also being felt in Madagascar. According to research by Terre des Hommes, at least 11,000 children are working there in the small-scale mica mining industry at the end of 2019. The continuously falling price that mica collectors get for a kilo of mica shows that the exploitation is only increasing.
Maggie de Jong, project leader of Terre des Hommes’ mica team: ‘The number of Malagassy companies that export mica has grown severely. But they keep the kilo price for the mica very low. That's why the mica labourers only get around 5 cent USD per kilo.
#TheClockisTicking campaign
Through the #TheClockisTicking campaign, TdH NL is calling on the public to sign a petition for world leaders to take immediate action. The child rights organisations also call on the public to support companies that focus on a fair, responsible and sustainable supply chain, specifically the mica supply chain which involves hazardous work from children in dangerous conditions.
Terre des Hommes Netherlands
Terre des Hommes Netherlands is an international child rights organisation that focuses on sexual exploitation of children, the worst forms of child labour, child trafficking and migration, sexual and reproductive health and rights and on child protection in humanitarian crises. For each of these forms of child exploitation, the organisation is developing and implementing projects and programmes through local partners in East Africa and the Asia region.
Contact Information:
Rilian Agunos
Regional Communications Officer, Asia
Email: r.agunos@tdh.nl / Number: +855 14 482 070
Grace Odour
Senior Regional Communications Officer, East Africa
Email. g.odour@tdh.nl / Number: 254 722 209 581
