Child labor is a problem that we must tackle together, as the involvement of children in labor violates all moral and social principles of our time. Find out what serious social challenges we need to address and how to protect our younger generation from illegal labor.

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The International Day Against Child Labor is celebrated annually on June 12 to draw attention to the dangers of child labor and to mobilize efforts to combat this phenomenon. This day reminds us to take steps to protect children's rights and ensure their proper development. Here's what we need to know about child labor and why we can't keep silent about it.

Child labor is a problem faced by millions of children around the world. They are forced to work in hazardous conditions, deprived of a proper education and opportunities for a healthy childhood. Child labor deprives children of their childhood, makes them vulnerable to exploitation, and worsens their physical and psychological health.

Despite international norms and legislation prohibiting child labor, its existence continues. The abuse and exploitation of children in various fields, including industry, agriculture, development, shameful sexual exploitation and human trafficking is becoming a shameful phenomenon in the modern world. Tens of millions of children are affected by these negative practices, which violate their rights and ensure their survival with very modest means.

Where is child labor most often used?

Giving examples of where children are used for labor confronts us with a brutal reality. In many countries, children are forced to work in agriculture, helping their families with hard physical labor in the fields or in livestock. They are deprived of a proper education and spend many hours doing hazardous work that negatively affects their health and development.

In addition, some children are subjected to industrial labor, where they are forced to perform work that is not appropriate for their physical and psychological maturity. They face exhaustion, injury, and inadequate access to basic needs such as food and medical care.

These are just a few examples that show the terrible reality of child labor. But we cannot accept it as the norm. The International Day Against Child Labor reminds us of our responsibility to speak up for children's rights and work to protect them. Collective action can change this situation and ensure that every child has the opportunity for a proper childhood, education and development. 

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What steps should be taken to combat child labor?

The world needs to work together, governments, civil society organizations, and citizens. The entire global community must counteract child labor and ensure that children are safe, educated and have opportunities to develop their potential.

Measures that can be taken include ensuring access to quality and free education for all children, improving legislation and its effective enforcement, prohibiting child labor in hazardous conditions, supporting families and parenting, and developing social systems that provide social protection and assistance to families so that they are not forced to use children for labor.

A joint campaign by society is needed to raise public awareness of the problem of child labor and call for action. Media, social media and digital platforms can play an important role in spreading the word about the issue and mobilizing society.

The International Day Against Child Labor reminds us of the need to join forces to protect children from exploitation and deprivation of their rights. We must create a world where every child has the opportunity for a proper childhood, where they can grow, learn and develop in safety and prosperity.

On June 4, the world celebrated the International Day of Innocent Children as Victims of Aggression. However, Ukraine honored the memory of children who died as a result of russia's armed aggression. Read here to find out how many young Ukrainians died and which regions are leading in the number of child casualties during the war.