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International Day against Child Labor
Coalition against Child Labor in Zimbabwe (CACLAZ)
June 15, 2008

The Coalition against Child Labor in Zimbabwe comprising the General Agriculture and Plantation Workers' Union of Zimbabwe (GAPWUZ), the Progressive Teachers' Union in Zimbabwe (PTUZ) and the African Network for the Protection and Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ANPPCAN) joins the rest of the world in commemorating the UN World Day against child labor.

Child labor continues to be one of the challenges facing countries, particularly in Southern Africa .. The International Organization (ILO) estimates that there are 250 million children between five and fourteen years of age who are engaged in economic work in developing countries alone. The organization further points out that about 120 million of these children work for full time activities while the remainder combines work with schooling or other non-economic activity (EMCOZ, 1999). Zimbabwe has experienced the problem with the effects being felt in both the rural and urban areas. The problem has permeated all levels of society and the worst effects have been experienced amongst the poor owing to the deadly HIV and AIDS pandemic as well as poverty. In the rural areas, environmental pressure resulting from unprecedented population growth and poverty pose a great challenge to mitigating child labor. In urban areas, the problem has been seriously compounded by the deadly HIV and AIDS especially among low-income population who live in the high density areas. These vulnerable groups are likely to engage in the formal sector economy doing such activities like vending, begging and agriculture as they try to earn a living.

Historically the world over, children are introduced to the world of work as they grow. In most developing countries children are expected to assist in various farming activities such as herding domestic animals, cultivation and harvesting agricultural produce. Where there are family businesses, children are also expected to help. However, there is need to acknowledge that such work activities depend on the social context of the children. In Zimbabwe, the deteriorating socio-economic environment is likely to increase child participation in work activities. The most vulnerable groups include children and single women. These, owing to lack of alternative means might be forced to use child labor. Working for long hours, for instance, can compromise children's education and development, especially in the case of street vendors, farm workers and child minders

Child labor is not always confined to the poor alone. Huge concerns such as agricultural and industrial companies can resort to the use of child in defiance of existing legislation and labor laws. The need to cut costs and the profit motive might be the main drivers in the use of child labor. Furthermore, certain industrial and agricultural labor tasks might be more amenable to the use of child labor. These among other activities include working in tea, coffee, cotton and tobacco plantations, vending of sweets, cigarettes and airtime cards, selling of vegetables.

The coalition recognizes that child labor:

• Is harmful to the children and it also interferes with the children's education.
• Is unacceptable because it destroys the children emotionally, socially, physically and psychologically.
• Is a violation of children's rights in terms of the ILO conventions 138 and 182, United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Convention on the rights of the child, African Charter on the rights and welfare of the child, Labor Relations Act and the Domestic Violence Act.
• Affects national development in the long term as it forces children to drop out from school at an early age.

We therefore call upon the entire Zimbabwean community to combat Child Labor and help create conditions that enable children to learn! Remember Education is the right response to child labor!

We call upon ALL Zimbabweans who love children to help towards the elimination of child labor through all or some of the following activities:

1. Helping to set up a child help line on child labor in Zimbabwe
2. Facilitate the creation/ establishment of transit centers for the socialization and reformation of street children, juvenile delinquents, drug user children
3. Return, repatriate and reintegration of children at risk including trafficked survivors, victims of child sexual abuse and exploitation.
4. Addressing issues of children living with HIV and AIDS and minimizing the use of alcohol, drugs and tobacco in children
5. Supporting, through educational inputs, the education of former child laborers in Zimbabwe.
6. Creating/building networks to integrate child labor issues in movements such as trade unions, civic organizations, anti-trafficking organizations, women's organizations
7. Sharing information on children's issues
8. Helping build each other's capacities through workshops/meetings/trainings on children's issues so as to give us a distinct advantage in tackling children's issues
9. Empowering communities with knowledge on child labor/rights issues so that they are better equipped to deal with these problems.

CACLAZ therefore calls upon all the people in Zimbabwe to STOP CHILD LABOR NOW and LET THE CHILDREN LEARN! REMEMBER EDUCATION IS THE RIGHT RESPONSE TO CHILD LABOR!

For more information contact the CACLAZ child labor desk on e-mail on caclaz@yahoo.com

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