Stronger community engagement vital to end child labour
Staff Reporter
Government and non government stakeholders have called for the development of a community based child protection system to effectively end child labour, stressing that urban child labour cannot be addressed sustainably without coordinated and multi sectoral action.
They said stronger social protection mechanisms, expanded access to inclusive education and increased urban livelihood opportunities for vulnerable families are essential to tackling the problem.
The call was made on Monday at an experience sharing event held at the CIRDAP auditorium in the capital, organised by Eco Social Development Organization with support from Educo Bangladesh.
The event aimed to present the implementation progress of the Odhikar project focused on eliminating child labour.
The programme was chaired by ESDO Executive Director Dr Md Shahid Uz Zaman and moderated by Educo Bangladesh Project Officer Md Mizanur Rahman.
Secretary of the Technical and Madrasa Education Division Muhammad Rafiqul Islam attended as the chief guest.
Other speakers included Bangladesh Technical Education Board Chairman Engineer Md Ruhul Amin, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Employment Mohammad Mozammel Haque and Educo Bangladesh Director Program Abdur Rahim, among others.
The keynote paper presented at the event said the Odhikar project is working to strengthen measures to eliminate child labour in Dhaka city.
Under the project, 53 percent of enrolled children have been fully withdrawn from hazardous labour and brought back into education.
Among those who received technical training, all youths and 85 percent of parents have secured decent employment and are contributing to household livelihoods.
The introduction of regular nutritious school tiffin has ensured an average attendance rate of 90 percent among working children.
The children have also gained practical ICT skills and awareness on online safety, contributing to their digital empowerment and safer internet use.
In addition, life skills education has strengthened the mental health, confidence and overall resilience of child labourers.
The project has raised awareness on child labour, the right to education and child protection among nearly 30,000 community members, including parents and employers.
Speaking at the programme, Secretary Muhammad Rafiqul Islam said child labour is obstructing national development and stressed the need to ensure quality education and employment oriented opportunities for all.
He said the government is working on these issues but child labour cannot be eliminated by the government alone, nor by any single organisation, as it requires collective effort.
Strong coordination among government agencies, local government institutions, civil society, the private sector and communities is necessary to eradicate child labour, he added.
Bangladesh Technical Education Board Chairman Engineer Md Ruhul Amin said child labour can be prevented by transforming strategies into practical and effective actions.
With this in mind, efforts are underway to build a skilled workforce through technical education.
He said at least 20 percent of students in the country are currently enrolled in technical education and this proportion needs to increase further to achieve desired goals.
Many private organisations are already working in this area, and the Technical Education Board is ready to provide any support required, he noted.
Joint Secretary Mohammad Mozammel Haque of the Ministry of Labour and Employment said collective social initiatives can play an effective role in eliminating child labour.
He identified poverty as the root cause of child labour and stressed the need for effective measures to reduce poverty.
With appropriate initiatives, real change is possible, he said, adding that greater emphasis must be placed on technical education.
In his concluding remarks, ESDO Executive Director Dr Md Shahid Uz Zaman said that while NGOs and development organisations play an important role alongside the government in preventing and rehabilitating child labour, there is a lack of sustainable action plans.
He stressed the need to formulate urban development plans aligned with child labour elimination initiatives and to define integrated strategies for housing, health and education.
Coordinated action is essential to eradicate child labour, he said.
During the event, speakers from institutions, grassroots communities, government bodies, project partners and civil society shared their experiences.
Emphasis was placed on ensuring children’s participation, engaging parents and involving all stakeholders in line with national strategies and policies to eliminate child labour.
Children and parents present at the programme said receiving education through the Odhikar Pathshala felt like a dream come true.
They said they had previously been engaged in various hazardous jobs and that such projects had helped change their lives, urging that similar initiatives be continued in the future.