No child should work – every child has the right to a good education, the right to play and to be a real child. Child labour perpetuates poverty; it prevents children from going to school to increase their chances of a better future, and where children work, adults sometimes cannot find work. Conversely, poverty also forces children into child labour, including through the lack of a living wage for parents and adults. The situation surrounding child labour is a vicious circle that harms the entire community. Combating child labour contributes to development and better opportunities for all.    

However, child labour is a complex problem that occurs mainly at the beginning of production chains. For example, in more informal work that sometimes also takes place at home. Detecting and combating child labour requires several actions simultaneously. Firstly, proper full-time education should be available to all compulsory schoolchildren. In addition, companies should address child labour in their supply chain by applying due diligence. Governments must ensure that companies comply with international standards and conventions on child labour.  

Arisa, through its partners, contributes to the fight against child labour by setting up child labour-free zones in which local authorities, teachers, employers and parents work together to get all children out of work and into school.    

Arisa collaborates on the issue of child labour in the Stop Child Labour coalition and the Work: No Child’s Business programme.