ComPEG
The meeting aimed to tackle the prevalent issue of CDW, exacerbated by disturbing statistics indicating Southeast Nigeria as a hotspot for child labour.
Introduction
Research by The Freedom Fund shows that 89% of children work in conditions that violate one or more of the Child Rights Act and 35 % enter domestic work before the age of 10. It further revealed that CDWs are at significant risk of abusive and exploitative labour, with 96.7% falling into the category of the worst forms of child labour. Studies from the International Labour Organization also show that Southeast Nigeria has the highest percentage of child labour in the country at 49.9 %. The region has become a hotbed for child labour, with CDW representing a significant sub-component of this broader issue. All these further indicate how serious this challenge is and the need to take action.
Meeting objectives
The meeting aimed to tackle the prevalent issue of CDW, exacerbated by disturbing statistics indicating Southeast Nigeria as a hotspot for child labour. It drew insights from three key publications that highlighted the severe risks faced by CDWs, emphasizing the need for urgent intervention and policy reform:
- Nigerian Child Labor Survey 2022 by the International Labour Organization.
- Behind Closed Doors: Measuring the Scale and Nature of Exploitative Child Domestic Work in Nigeria by Freedom Fund.
- Child Domestic Work in Southeast Nigeria: Legal Frameworks and Policy Recommendations by South Saharan Social Development Organisation.
Discussions focused on :
- Strengthening legal frameworks
- Enhancing inter-agency collaboration.
- Fostering community awareness to effectively combat CDW.
Activities :
- Roundtable Discussion.
- Presentation.
- Case Studies and Experience Sharing.
- Breakout Session.
Breakout Sessions :
The participants were divided into groups for a breakout session to discuss the issues raised in the presentations. The groups included:
- Commissioners and Legislators.
- Police representatives
Sharing. - Civil Society Organisations and other stakeholders.
The breakout sessions provided a platform for stakeholders to share insights, experiences, and recommendations, setting the stage for collaborative efforts to combat child labour and protect vulnerable children in Southeast Nigeria. The recommendations from the break-out session form the basis for the development of a communique.
The meeting served as an avenue for SSDO to unveil its research work, “Child Domestic Work in Southeast Nigeria: Legal Frameworks and Policy Recommendations” which highlighted flaws in legislations and marquee areas for capacity strengthening especially in the judicial sector regarding CDWs in southeast Nigeria.
Gallery
