DILI, 30 january 2023 (TATOLI)- United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) called to parents to avoid exposing their children to the advantages of business situation.
Country Representative of UNICEF, Bilal Durrani stated following the child labor reality that continues to happen in Timor-Leste.
Durrani said to UNICEF that child labor in Timor-Leste continues to happen because of the impact of the family economy and poverty issues, following the research conducted by UNICEF.
“I am observing that the child labor issue in Timor-Leste is impacted by lack of family economic situation, poverty issues and the research also identified that children are engaged in child labor activities by their parents ’’ The country representative of UNICEF, Bilal Durrani told Tatoli Agency in the Suai room in Timor Plaza, this Monday.
Regarding this issue, UNICEF is cooperating with INDICA and other relevant entities to provide a strategic plan to combat the child labor issue in Timor-Leste.
“We have designed a strategic plan to ensure children in not involved in labor issues in Timor-Leste. We are in cooperation with the Minister of Tourism Commerce and Industry (MTCI) and other development partners to prepare a national action plan to ensure children will not involve in child labor in Timor-Leste,’’ He explained
According to Durrani child labor is the potential for direct harm and risk to children, therefore, the National Action Plan will ensure that children cannot get to these worst forms of child labor.
“The action plan will be controlling children not working or doing business activity. The children must access education as it is one vital point to protecting child’s rights,” he explained.
At the same time, Durrani said, UNICEF also provides advocacy for behavior change and also parenting education that makes parents awarded to avoid activities that are not good for their children.
” We are doing activities to avoid social activity which is not beneficial for the children, in Education, Health, Nutrition, and others to meet the child protection program and It is important for the parent to be aware and allows their children to access those programs, which will be reducing the number of child labor in Timor-Leste,’’ He concluded
So far the data from ILO in the child labor survey has provided a richer understanding for all relevant stakeholders in the country regarding the reality of working children, characteristics of the work they perform, industries and occupations in which they are engaged, and education attainment.
It is covering 1,755 households in all 13 municipalities, some of the key findings include:
Around 67,688 children (aged 5-17 years old) or equal to 16.1 percent are economically active both in rural and urban areas.
- The main reason for children to be economically active is to supplement their family incomes and the majority of them work for their families, followed by working in the
- Out of 16.1 percent of economically active children, 12.5 percent are in child labor and the majority of them (55.5%) are involved in hazardous work.
- Of the total population of children, 83.8 percent are attending school; however, children in child labor are less likely to attend school.
- Around 43,000 children (aged 5-17 years old) are reported never attended school; among these children, 6,455 are involved in economic activity, 4,901 are in child labor, and 2,888 are in hazardous work.
Journalist: José Belarmino De Sá
Editor: Nelia B.
