Child labour remains a menace in Egypt, as children are forced to engage in commercial sexual exploitation, which occasionally results from human trafficking and limestone mining.
Development Diaries reports that around 1.3 million children are engaged in child labour activities, with about 900,000 children exposed to hazardous work environments, 2021 data from the Egypt Family Health Survey shows.
To address this, Egypt and Italy, along with the International Labour Organisation (ILO), have signed an agreement to support the implementation of the National Action Plan for Combating the Worst Forms of Child Labour in Egypt and Supporting Family (2018–2025).
The national action plan, which was introduced in June 2018, aims to provide targeted children and their families with inclusive social protection while helping to eradicate child labour in all of its manifestations by the year 2025.
It is understood that the agreement will also involve completing the ‘Inspection Automation System’ and supporting the child labour unit’s efforts within the ministry.
A 2023 report by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), titled Child Labour- Eradicating Child Labour in Egypt, revealed that children in rural areas, especially rural Upper Egypt, were twice as likely to be engaged in child labour compared to those in urban areas.
According to the report, ten percent of children who do not go to school participate in child labour, which is associated with school attendance.
Children’s health, development, and ability to attend school are all significantly impacted by child labour, which is a major cause for concern.
Child labour also has a number of devastating effects on physical and mental health, including stunted growth, starvation, vitamin deficiencies, anaemia, physical traumas, and mental and behavioural issues.
The agreement, it is understood, aims to find alternatives that can enhance family incomes to reduce the incidence of school dropouts, which is the main cause of child labour.
Photo source: EU Reporter
