Social protection against child labour in Myanmar
The world day against child labour was celebrated for the first time in Myanmar on June 12th in Yangon, Nay Pyi Taw and Mandalay. The government of Myanmar, workers and employers representatives affirmed their commitment to the elimination of child labour and recognized the key role that social protection has to play in addressing the causes of child labour.
To commemorate this day, the ILO held a seminar and an event (June 11-12, Nay Pyi Taw) to help promote discussions around social protection extension as one of the tools to combat child labour. Ensuring income security for children and access to essential healthcare, nutrition, education, care and other necessary goods and services as key components of national social protection floors, is part of the policy response that will contribute to end child labour. Poverty and shocks are key to driving children into work, while social protection can help address these factors and keep children out of labour.
The ILO supported a number of events and engaged with key Myanmar personalities to launch the red card campaign against child labour.
This year’s commemoration on the theme of social protection against child labour is particularly relevant to the Myanmar context where a national social protection strategy is being elaborated, with the support of the ILO, through a social protection assessment-based national dialogue (ABND) which will provide recommendations for the progressive creation of a national social protection floor.