Labor
The Government under the State Department of Labor and Skill Development has called for collective action to address child labor and how to completely eradicate the vice.
Speaking in Mombasa during a stakeholder’s engagement forum with the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the National Steering Committee, among other partners, Principal Secretary (PS), Shadrack Mwadime, said the government is committed and encourage concerted efforts towards combating child labor, forced labor, and human trafficking.
Mwadime revealed that the government has ratified two key ILO conventions on child labor, including Convention No. 138 on Minimum Age and Convention No.182 on Worst Forms of Child Labor.
He noted that the international labor standards set the general minimum age for admission of children to employment or work and to eliminate the worst forms of child labor, including slavery and practices similar to slavery.
The PS said the country is committed to scaling -up the efforts to implement the Daban call- to- action, which advocates for elimination of child labor by 2025.
Principal Secretary (PS) for Labor and Skills Development Shadrack Mwadime gives key note address during the 2nd meeting of the National Steering Committee on the Elimination of Child Labour at a Mombasa hotel.
“Kenya is also in the process to joining the Alliance ‘Target 8.7’, as a pathfinder country, which is a global partnership that brings together states, international organizations, businesses and members of civil societies under the aegis of the UN, to achieve a double objective. This is to end child labor by 2025 and forced labor by 2030,” said Mwadime.
He added that under Target 8.7, all countries are committed to take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labor, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labor including recruitment and use of child soldiers.
PS noted that Kenya becoming a pathfinder country, will increase the State’s efforts towards the global cause by getting more technical and financial support.
Meanwhile, the State Department is committed to support the National Steering Committee on elimination of child labor, through mobilization of resources, development of policies and legislation and strengthening of its structures.
Mwadime added that elimination of child labor is one of the key mandates of the State Department, and that several measures have been put in place as interventions which cut across policy development, establishment of structures and training of labor inspectorate, to equip them with skills towards addressing the vice.
The PS said the government in collaboration with ILO CAPSA project is finalizing the review of the National Policy on the elimination of child labor and a National Action Plan to implement the Policy.
“The Policy is a response to the persistent challenges caused by child labor as a social and developmental problem. It also focuses on strategies that are aimed at prevention, identification, withdrawal, rehabilitation, which is critical and reintegration of children involved in all forms of child labor,” he said.
Mwadime pointed out that one of the key components of the Policy is the strong institutional framework and integrated, implantation, monitoring and evaluation mechanism which is now the National Steering Committee.
Grace Banya, ILO CAPSA Project Manager, commended the government’s proactive stand on child labor, eradication of forced labor and human trafficking.
She noted that the economic strains compounded by Covid-19 pandemic, escalated the situation further. Project Manager said ILO will offer support to the government and social partners, who have been the main stakeholders in the war against child labor.
Banya noted that the engagement will help stakeholders to review the progress they’ve made over time as they are approaching the deadline which is 2025 for Kenya to completely eradicate child labor.
“As ILO we are supporting the government through financial and technical support for them to do what they are mandated to do,” she said.
She added that ILO is committed to ensure the government adhere to international labor standards that require each country to legislate against child labor and have interventions in place that protect and prevent children from getting to child labor and for those who are victims, to be reintegrated back in school and in the community so as to resume meaningful life as children.