By Rading Biko
In 2015, world leaders agreed to end child labour by 2025 through the Sustainable Development Goals. However, every day 160 million children are still working in illegal mines, are forced to do domestic work, subjected to begging on the streets, are being sexually exploited, and risking their lives.
A child working in mica mines in Madagascar. Credit: TdH NL
As a response, Terre des Hommes Netherlands (TdH NL) launches #TheClockisTicking, a global campaign calling on immediate action in the fight against child labour. Starting on World Day Against Child Labour on 12 June 2022.
The campaign aims to spread awareness about child labour through a manifest for world leaders to take action and encourage companies to join the Responsible Mica Initiative (RMI).
The SDGs were formed in 2015 and were aimed to be reached by 2030. However, the collective agreement among 193 member states of the United Nations was to end child labour by 2025, five years before the other goals.
“The number of Malagassy companies that export mica has grown severely. But they keep the kilo price for the mica very low. That’s why the mica labourers only get around 5 cent USD per kilo”, said Maggie de Jong, Project Leader of the TdH NL mica team in Madagascar and India.
Through the #TheClockisTicking campaign, TdH NL is calling on the public to sign a petition for world leaders to take immediate action.
The child rights organisation also calls on the public to support companies that focus on a fair, responsible and sustainable supply chain, specifically the mica supply chain which involves hazardous work from children in dangerous conditions.
Terre des Hommes Netherlands is an international child rights organisation that focuses on sexual exploitation of children.
The worst forms of child labour, child trafficking and migration, sexual and reproductive health and rights and child protection in humanitarian crises.
For each of these forms of child exploitation, the organisation is developing and implementing projects and programmes through local partners in East Africa and the Asia region.
