100 million girls are involved in child labour, and many are exposed to some of its worst forms - ILO.

By John Chola - 19/06/09

The International Labour Organisations says most recent global estimate indicate that more than 100 million girls are involved in child labour, and many are exposed to some of its worst forms.

Meanwhile the prevailing global financial crisis will push more children, particularly girls, into child labour.

This is according to a new report issued by the International Labour Office (ILO) marking the World Day against Child Labour which fell on June 12.

The ILO report, entitled Give Girls a Chance: Tackling child labour, a key to the future notes that while recent global estimates indicate the number of children involved in child labour has been falling, the financial crisis threatens to erode this progress.

ILO Director-General Juan Somavia says in the report that there has been some real progress in reducing child labour in the recent past.

Somavia says the policies chosen in the present crisis will be a test of national and global commitment to take the child labour fight forward.

Somavia he says bemoaned that in many countries families still give preference to boys when making decisions on education of children.

He says because of the increase in poverty as result of the crisis poor families with a number of children are likely to make choices as to which children stay in school.

Somavia says that in cultures in which a higher value is placed on education of male children, girls risk being taken out of school, and are then likely to enter the workforce at an early age.

Somavia says anticipated cuts in national education budgets and a decline in remittances of migrant workers which help to keep children in school are other factors to push up the numbers in child labour.

169 member states have ratified the ILO Convention No. 182 on the elimination of the worst forms of child labour.

Fourteen member states are yet to ratify the convention in order to make it a universal ratification.

Somavia says protecting children from child labour calls for integrated responses that include jobs for parents, and social protection measures that help them to keep both girls and boys in school.

The ILO chief says girls around the globe face a number of particular problems that justify special attention.

The problems including much work being undertaken by girls is hidden from public view, which creates particular dangers.

Somavia says girls make up the overwhelming number of children in domestic work in third party households and there are regular reports of the abuse of child domestic workers.

In their own homes, Somavia notes, girls take on household chores to a much greater extent than boys.

He says combined with economic activity outside the household, this imposes a “double burden” that increases the risk of girls dropping out of school.

The ILO chief bemoans that in many societies girls are still in an inferior and vulnerable position and are more likely to lack basic education a situation that seriously restricts their future opportunities.

The ILO report has underscored the importance of investing in the education of girls as an effective way of tackling poverty.

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