MOZAMBIQUE: STUDY ON CHILD LABOUR PRESENTED

Maputo — Mozambican Labour Minister Vitoria Diogo has warned that society must pay attention to the abuse of children through child labour, slavery, drug trafficking and child prostitution.

Diogo was speaking in Maputo on Friday at a seminar where a study on child labour was discussed.

“The actions and measures of the government”, she said, “have encouraged the defence and preservation of children's rights, namely the right to a family, the right to go to school, and the right to healthy and nutritional food, among others”.

The public presentation of the study, she added, is a further platform to extend knowledge and understanding of child labour in Mozambique.

“Starting from this understanding, we, as the government can find measures to bring dignity to children, and which guarantee that work is undertaken within the framework of the principles enshrined in the Mozambican constitution and in the Labour Law, concerning the promotion and protection of children's rights”, said Diogo.

According to data from the International Labour Organisation (ILO), about 168 million children throughout the world are child labourers. More than half of them are working in activities which put at risk their health, their human development, and their future in society.

However, the ILO regards as positive those forms of work which do not interfere with children's development of education - such as helping their parents at home, assisting in a family business, or earning pocket money outside of school hours, or during school holidays.

“What is the vision of Mozambicans about work done by children?”, asked Diogo. “What is the boundary between the acceptable and the unacceptable? How do the different sensitivities in Mozambican society interpret this concept?”

The study, undertaken by a team from Maputo's Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM), concluded that poverty is one of the main causes of child labour in Mozambique.

CREDIT SOURCE: ALLAFRICA