About World Day Against Child Labour
- World Day Against Child Labour is a global observance marked on June 12 every year, serving as a crucial reminder to build a world free of child labour, where children worldwide are not forced into work at the expense of their education and well-being.
- History: The International Labour Organization (ILO) first observed World Day Against Child Labour on June 12, 2002, at its Geneva headquarters.
- Since then, it has been marked globally to shine a light on this ongoing crisis. The year 2025 marks the 21st anniversary of this important observance.
- Theme: The theme for this year is ‘Progress is clear, but there’s more to do: let’s speed up efforts!’ It reflects the progress made so far in reducing child labour, while also emphasizing the need to intensify global efforts to meet international goals.
- In India, the government has implemented a National Policy on Child Labour since 1987. This policy emphasises both the rehabilitation of affected children and the need to tackle the root cause — poverty — by improving the economic well-being of their families.
Child Labour Latest Data and Trends
- Global Child Labour: In 2024, nearly 138 million children were engaged in child labour worldwide, with 54 million in hazardous work. Africa has the highest child labour rates (72 million children), followed by Asia and the Pacific (62 million children).
- India: In 2011, India's Census data showed that 10.1 million children, or 3.9% of the total child population aged 5-14, were working, either as "main workers" or "marginal workers".
- This data represents a decrease from the 1.26 crore working children in 2001, but the issue persists, with poverty, lack of education, and economic distress identified as key drivers.
- Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): SDG Target 8.7 aims to end child labour in all its forms by 2025, but this target is unlikely to be met due to persistent challenges.
