Preventive and Awareness Programs to Tackle Child Labor Under National Strategy
07-27-2023
The National Strategy to Reduce Child Labor 2022-2030, officially launched earlier this year through collaborative efforts between governmental, non-governmental, and private sectors, focuses on updating and enforcing legislation, preventive and awareness programs, and fostering coordination and partnerships while adhering to the principles of human rights, child rights, and governance.
The primary objective of the strategy is to eliminate illegal child labor and to ensure the protection of children engaged in lawful and safe work environments. According to a national survey conducted in 2016, approximately 76,000 children are currently involved in various forms of labor, with a concerning 44,000 of them performing hazardous tasks.
Demonstrating its commitment to protecting children's rights, Jordan has ratified several international agreements aimed at combating child labor and protecting their rights. Among these agreements are the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the International Labor Organization (ILO) Conventions No. 138 and 182. Furthermore, to align with these global standards, the kingdom has enacted local laws that explicitly prohibit child labor, especially in hazardous occupations.
Mai Sultan, the Director of Childhood at the National Council for Family Affairs, stated to the Jordan News Agency (Petra) that child labor remains a complex challenge due to intertwined economic, social, and cultural factors. Highlighted poverty as a significant driver of this problem. In combating child labor, education emerges as a critical tool to prevent children from dropping out of school and entering the workforce prematurely, added.
Abdul Basit Al-Khawaldeh, the Director of Anti-Vagrancy at the Ministry of Social Development, emphasized that the Ministry is actively working towards mitigating all forms of begging and safeguarding the best interests of children, promoting the best interests of the child. The ministry is dedicated to ensuring the protection and well-being of children of all ages, addressing their needs within the ministry's capabilities, he added.
In order to reach these goals. Al-Khawaldeh highlighted that the ministry takes legal measures and the necessary steps in terms of rehabilitation and care, and is also eager to contribute, through the National Strategy, to aligning efforts with partners to counter the detrimental campaigns that affect children and threaten their childhood.
Muhammad Al-Ziyoud, the official spokesperson for the Ministry of Labor, said that the ministry participates as a member of the coordinating committee formed under the chairmanship of the National Council for Family Affairs to monitor and evaluate the National Strategy to Combat Child Labor and its executive plan. The Ministry carries out various activities and programs within its plan and contributes to the development of child-labor plans for the coming years in the Kingdom, he added.
Lana Bani hani, a representative of the Jordan Chamber of Commerce, explained that one of the key objectives in the effort to combat child labor is to establish a national framework for addressing this issue, bearing in mind that the private sector is the employer. Efforts are underway to raise awareness among the private sector on the threats of child labor and the legal consequences that may result from it.
Added that, as a part of its social responsibility, the private sector has played a vital role in raising awareness about the risks of child labor and has contributed to the success of the campaign to combat child labor. She emphasized that the strategies of many private sector institutions focus on providing allocations within the social responsibility framework aiming to support families employing their children.
Noor Jamal, the representative of Rowad Alkhair Association, stated that the Child Protection Program targets vulnerable and less fortunate children within families applying for assistance, including orphans, the impoverished, and fragmented families. They conduct case studies using a formula approved by the Ministry of Social Development to determine the family's need for social care. Furthermore, monthly financial assistance is furnished to ensure the basic necessities of life for families within this program, thereby enabling children to stay in school.
The Association is currently working on a preventive program targeting families with children who wish to work by providing their basic needs to discourage child labor. Additionally, they focus on shaping the child's personality and emphasizing the enhancement of their psychological values to continue their education. They also offer non-curricular and recreational activities and provide them with protection measures, which have resulted in the return of 700 children to schools.
Tareq Al-Faqih, the President of Jebel Al-Natheef Center for Local Community Affairs, affiliated with Ruwwad Foundation, stated that the role played by the foundation within the strategy is to establish a national framework to combat child labor. The foundation brings together stakeholders working to combat child labor in the Kingdom in a consultative, cooperative, and integrative manner to develop programs and plans that contribute to the comprehensive mitigation of child labor through a systematic national plan.
As a result of collaboration with the International Labor Organization, around 150 children were returned back to schools in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, through the Culture Promotion program for dropouts or the direct enrollment system. This effort also involves raising awareness among parents, education, and building experience to enrich the national strategic plan, he added.
Arwa Samreen, the representative of the Institute for Family Health, which is affiliated with the King Hussein Foundation, said that the institute delivers various services to combat child labor. These services include case management for children working in different sectors, psychosocial support by a qualified team consisting of social researchers and psychological specialists, raising awareness in the community through psychological support groups for parents, awareness campaigns, advocacy efforts, and garnering support to stamp out child labor.
Mahmoud Mashal, the liaison officer for combating child labor at the Ministry of Education, pointed out that the Ministry serves as an active partner in the development of the strategy, which includes an array of activities and programs on child labor. These efforts are mainly focused on the preventive aspect to stand up to school dropouts and child labor. This is achieved through improving the classroom atmosphere to align with the students' goals and wishes, enhancing extracurricular activities, and relying on educational supervisors to address this issue through counseling programs, he added. Furthermore, there is a therapeutic aspect aimed at combating school dropout by providing alternative educational opportunities, such as literacy programs, home study programs, and remedial education programs to prepare them for educational services.
Mashal further highlighted that the Culture Promotion Program aims to prepare male and female students to obtain a graduation certificate equivalent to the tenth grade, which qualifies them to enroll in the Skilled Worker Program established by the Vocational Training Corporation.
