12 June is celebrated as World Day Against Child Labour.
World Day Against Child Labour 2025 tagline line is
The 2025 World Day Against Child Labour focuses on a key milestone: the release of the 2025 global estimates and trends of child labour. This joint report by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), entitled “Child Labour: Global estimates 2024” provides an overview of child labour around the world. The report provides the most recent and comprehensive assessment currently available on the extent of child labour and global efforts to end it. The report also highlights the latest trends in addressing child labour, which continues to persist despite international commitments to eliminate it by 2025, as reflected in SDG target 8.7.
Child labour persists, with nearly 138 million children in child labour worldwide; 54 million of whom are in hazardous work
Among all children in child labour, two in five (54 million) perform hazardous work. Of these 54 million children, around two in five are under age 15, and nearly one in five is younger than age 12. Child labour remains a widespread issue in cobalt mining, particularly in ASM, which accounts for up to 30% of the DRC’s cobalt production. According to recent data from Humanium, an estimated 40,000 children are involved in cobalt mining in the DRC, some as young as seven years old, working in unsafe conditions. The trafficking of children for work in mines is also a harsh reality. Some children are brought from hundreds of miles away through militia (sometimes referred to as commandos) networks to work in the cobalt mines, where their labour funds these groups. (Read full report)
This year, ILO calls for full ratification of ILO Convention No. 138 on the Minimum Age and the implementation of ILO Convention No. 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour. Their effective ratification and implementation remain essential to achieving the goals set by the Durban Call to Action, which urges us to aim for for strengthened prevention, protection, and partnerships to eliminate child labour.
A return to global progress in ending child labour is evident. The overall number of children in child labour declined by more than 22 million, and the number in hazardous work by even more – 25 million – from 2020 to 2024. This progress is very welcome news, especially in light of the rise in the number of children in child labour in the prior four-year period, from 2016 to 2020.
All region have seen some progress against child labour since 2020
Number (in millions) and percentage of children aged 5 to 17 years in child labour, by ILO region
Source: International Labour Office and United Nations Children’s Fund, Child Labour: Global estimates 2024, trends and the road forward, ILO and UNICEF, New York, 2025.
Child labour continues to be a great concern in many parts of the world. Children are the next generation and our future, thus projects that work for children are particularly important. Children also need special protection as they cannot always stand up for themselves. The International Labour Organization (ILO) launched the World Day Against Child Labour in 2002 to focus attention on the global extent of child labour and the action and efforts needed to eliminate it. As we look back on 23 years of the efforts, today we want to give tips for all the great NGOs that work towards the elimination of child labour all around the world.
When applying for projects related to child labour, always keep the bigger scheme of things in mind. While singular projects already might help, it is always better to take a step back and look at the situation holistically. It’s not only important to stop the child labour cycle but to break it. Poverty is considered as one of the contributory factors in child labour. If you want to ‘eradicate’ child labour, first find out why it exists– there might be more systemic problems that are the root cause of the problems. Many times, projects for child labour need to focus on the entire community to have a lasting impact. Make sure that your project fits within a broader scheme and aligns with national and regional strategies.
It might be tempting to use pity pleas when you try to raise money to work with children. But do not fall for this trap. Only because children are not always in a position to talk for themselves does not give you the right to use them for a cause. If you use pictures or case studies that only depict children as victims, the donor might also think that you do not really respect your beneficiaries. It might even put them in danger. Do not make pity pleas for the beneficiaries and depict them as helpless or needy. Make sure that you always keep the security and the best interest of the children in mind and that you do not use them – even if you think it is for their good somehow. Highlight clearly that the children, the family, and the whole community are going to be active stakeholders in your project and that their knowledge and their resources are going to be put to good use. If you manage to create positive feelings by telling a positive story of hope and showing the ways the lives of a child can improve, you will have much better chances of keeping someone on the hook – they don’t just feel like they did their duty by donating some money, but they do want to know how the story goes on.
When you work for children, it is particularly important that you think about project sustainability before you apply. You do not want to engage with children and then run out of funding and leave them in the situation they started in. Before you even start to plan your project, you should develop a plan on how it could be sustained once the one-time funding runs out. As I said before, it is not only important to take the children out of the forced work but to secure the fundamental children’s rights. If you have a good sustainability plan in place, this also shows the donor that you are really committed and serious about the issue you want to address. Every child should have the same starting chances, and your project should make sure this is the case.
SDG 8.7 Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking, and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms.
SDG 16.2 End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence and torture against children
If you are applying for any type of government funding, it is important to specifically mention which targets your project will contribute to. If you are applying for private funding, the SDGs are of much less importance. However, the above-numbered SDGs have been well-researched and analyzed, which are great to use even for non-government-funded projects.
Children are vulnerable. If you want to work with children in a project, you need to make sure that they are adequately protected and save. Many donors are also very aware of this issue. You should have a child protection policy in place. Any organization that comes into contact with children directly or indirectly should have a child protection policy. Simply put, a child protection policy helps create a child-safe organization. Make sure your NGO has one and also submit this with your proposal to show that you are thinking of these issues.
If you want to learn more about how to write a proposal for a project, take a look at our resource guide: The NGO Guide to Proposal Writing: The complete ‘How to’ for everything proposal related – New Edition . It provides holistic understandings of the grant application process, the purpose of the project proposal and its parts, and tips on proposal writing.
Priti is a Development Professional with years of experience as a Director of Operations for an American humanitarian organization in Nepal. She is a published writer and researcher focusing on international development funding and grassroots NGOs. She holds a master’s degree in Business. She oversees the team that provides support to NGOs and site users.
very much informative. I learnt a lot from your tips.
Dear Rizwanov: I am glad you found this article helpful!
informatvie
Hello,
I am glad that the article is helpful to you.