Girls at more risk of child labour and trafficking as global economic crisis bites

12 June 2009  - Not only girls are exposed to some of the worst forms of child labour, but they are also particularly vulnerable to human trafficking.

Today marks the World Day against Child Labour, which calls for action to tackle the worst forms of child labour, paying particular attention to the situation of girls. In a recent report issued by the International Labour Organization (ILO), an estimated 100 million girls are involved in child labour. On that account, the theme for this year is "Give girls a chance" . According to the UN.GIFT Global Report against Trafficking in Persons, 80 per cent of trafficked victims are women and children and  half of all human trafficking victims are under the age of 18.

While much is being done to eradicate the worst forms of child labour, the current financial crisis threatens to erode this progress. Education, which is an essential part of the solution, is being threatened as cuts in national education budgets force families to make choices as to which children stay in school. In cultures where a higher value is placed on education of male children, girls risk being taken out of school, and are then likely to enter the workforce at an early age.

UN.GIFT recently met with a representative from UNICEF to discuss how education can help girls escape child labour and trafficking.

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