INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
percent of working children are foreign nationals.The 2022 theme of the world day calls for increased investment in social protection
systems and schemes to establish solid social protection floors and protect children from child labor.While significant progress has been
made in reducing child labor over the last two decades, progress has slowed over time, and it has even stalled during the period 2016-2020
fight poverty and vulnerability and eradicate and prevent child labor
Social protection is both a human right and a potent policy tool to prevent families from resorting to child labor in times of
crisis.However, as of 2020 and before the COVID-19 crisis took hold, only 46.9 percent of the global population were effectively covered by
Coverage for children is even lower
of an integrated and comprehensive approach to tackle the problem.Mahmoud Aligoo, an official with the Welfare Organization, said that more
than 44 percent of working children are members of a family of 4 to 6, which is also worrisome.The Welfare Organization has covered over
14,000 children to control child labor, he said, adding, "We currently have 67 training and support centers run by NGOs and 31
government-run 24-hour centers."This is the result of various processes and economic issues in the region and neighboring countries;
First of all, we must accept that children are not to blame for this process and are vulnerable to this social, economic, and cultural
A national decision must be made on the issue of refugees and illegal citizens, he further noted, emphasizing the need to enhance the
cooperation of responsible bodies to contain the issue.A five-point plan for labor and street children will be implemented in 12 provinces
of the country, Aligoo said.Empowering the child's family, collecting labor children's biometric information, implementing a child-friendly
Protecting the Rights of the Child (SPRC), there are 14,000 dumpsite pickers in Tehran, of which 4,700, or one-third of them, are
children.Habibollah Masoudi Farid, the deputy head of the Welfare Organization, announced in 2020 that there are an estimated 70,000 street
Of course, given that the conditions of children working in workshops are different, Masoudi Farid said that there are no exact
statistics.Under the law, the employment of children aged 15 or younger is prohibited in Iran and there are also restrictions on the types
of jobs that persons between 15 and 18 years can do
For example, no child is allowed to work on jobs that pose occupational health hazards.Financially struggling childrenReferring to the
leading causes of child labor in the country, Seyed Hassan Mousavi Chalak, head of the Iranian Social Workers Association, has said that the
current causes of child labor in the country are similar to its global causes, which are economic and financial issues.The inefficient
social security system is another reason behind child labor
If the coverage of social security expands and becomes stronger, a significant part of this phenomenon will decrease.Some 83-87 percent of
working children are from financially struggling families.Currently, 5-6 million people (that are legally eligible for a living allowance)
are under the coverage of the Welfare Organization and Imam Khomeini Relief Foundation and are receiving subsidies, but the pension does not
cover their living expenses.Although the financial burden is indeed heavy for the government, we missed the capacity to expand social
support, which might have been affected by various factors, such as U.S
growing, and this is worrisome.Working children are the consequence of inefficient economic and social security systems.FB/MG
