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World Day Against Child Labor

June 12 is the World Day Against Child Labor. Underage labor practices affect millions of children, forcing those aged under 14 out of school and into work.

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Madagaskar Ambovombe 2024 | Achtjähriger Tsifeheza arbeitet in Glimmer-Mine Koroma — Image: Safidy Andrianantenaina/UNICEF

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Reports & Analysis

Girls picking chards in a field

Girls picking chards in a field

EU and US continue to grapple with child labor

June 12 is World Day Against Child Labour. Despite progress, one in 10 children globally work in ways deemed harmful.

View of a child laborer resting stomach down on a small stack of sacks filled with mining material. The boy's right arm cradles his head while his gloved left hand covers his hair. In the background, other child laborers look on.

View of a child laborer resting stomach down on a small stack of sacks filled with mining material. The boy's right arm cradles his head while his gloved left hand covers his hair. In the background, other child laborers look on.

In Congo, coveted cobalt mined by child laborers

Cobalt, vital for EVs and smartphones, is mostly mined in Congo — where child labor remains a serious concern.

View of torso and legs of a Black boy crushing stones in a quarry

View of torso and legs of a Black boy crushing stones in a quarry

Why child labor is so prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa

A shocking number of underage workers are active in sub-Saharan Africa.

A child walks across a tightrope with a long balance beam. He is wearing a sparkly jacket.

A child walks across a tightrope with a long balance beam. He is wearing a sparkly jacket.

Pakistan's child circus performers risk their lives for show

Child labor is illegal in Pakistan, but the practice is still prevalent — especially at Islamabad's Lucky Irani Circus.

A boy carries a bowl of peanuts on his head seeking for customers to sell them.

A boy carries a bowl of peanuts on his head seeking for customers to sell them.

Poverty keeps countless Nigerian children out of school

One in three children in Nigeria don't go to school. Unfortunately the country is a global leader in this area.

People sort cocoa beans that are lying on the ground

People sort cocoa beans that are lying on the ground

Ivory Coast combats child labor for chocolate

Ivory Coast has made major strides in eliminating child labor, especially in the cocoa industry.

Doku - Die dunkle Seite des Kristall-Hypes

Doku - Die dunkle Seite des Kristall-Hypes

The Dark Side of Crystals

On social media, crystals are hyped as a cure for all sorts of ailments. What's behind the craze?

A child carries clay bricks

A child carries clay bricks

Child labor on the rise, ILO says

ILO says decent work for adults is key to eradicating child labor.

A child worker sifting through the scrap at the e-waste facility in Seelampur, New Delhi

A child worker sifting through the scrap at the e-waste facility in Seelampur, New Delhi

India: E-waste provides poor children a dangerous living

Discarded laptops and smartphones contain valuable metals. But their extraction is a crude and hazardous process.

Four children and teenagers sit on a step in front of a house, smiling

Four children and teenagers sit on a step in front of a house, smiling

Malawi: Under-age child carers — GirlZOffMute

Imagine being forced to look after your young siblings when you are a kid yourself.

Busy street in Nepal

Busy street in Nepal

What's behind Nepal's missing children?

Communities across Nepal fear children are increasingly being trafficked for labor and sexual exploitation.

This photo shows a gold mine where children use chemical products like mercury and cyanide

This photo shows a gold mine where children use chemical products like mercury and cyanide

Going to the gold mine instead of school

An NGO in Bidimba is working hard to put impoverished children in school — and keep them there.

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