Child Labour: Mozambican government produces list of hazardous work for children

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Child Labour: Mozambican government produces list of hazardous work for children

5:36 CAT | 23 Mar 2017

HRW (File photo)

Mozambique’s Mozambican Ministry of Labour yesterday began drafting a list of occupations deemed hazardous for children in Mozambique, with a view to approving a plan to combat the worst instances of child labour exploitation.

Speaking at a press conference announcing the start of the operation, Mozambican Labour, Employment and Social Security Minister Vitória Diogo said that the preparation of the list formed part of the country’s commitments to international treaties.

“It is normal for a child to work, taking his or her age into account, but it is necessary that he or she also has time to go to school, play and grow up in a healthy way,” Diogo said.

The use of child labour, she continued, is not acceptable for jobs considered dangerous.

According to Diogo, the list will be in line with Mozambique’s economic, social and cultural reality of.

The preparation of the list is preceded by a study commissioned by the government in 2016, which cited the fight against the worst forms of child labour as the country’s main challenge, the minister added.

“The child has to be protected. That is why all countries that are signatories to the conventions of the International Labour Organization and the United Nations have to define a list of occupations considered dangerous because they jeopardize their physical and mental development,” Diogo said.

Mozambique United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) representative Marcoluigi Corsi praised the initiative, saying it would help establish the best ways to combat child exploitation, which affects more than 150 million children around the world.

“The study commissioned by the government last year has shown that there are thousands of children involved in sectors considered improper, such as mining and heavy goods transport, and are being exploited sexually,” Corsi said.

Meanwhile, child labour continues to be a sad reality in our country, with more than four million Mozambican children thought to be being exploited.

ILO and UNICEF figures reveal a frightening reality. The two bodies have identified the most brutal forms of work that Mozambican children are made to perform.

This data was made public at the launch of the campaign to draw up a list indicating the worst forms of child labour in Mozambique, a document that will serve as a basis for banning and sanctioning these practises.

Source: Lusa / rfI