ILO: FINANCIAL CRISIS WILL PUSH MORE GIRLS INTO CHILD LABOUR

By P.Vijian

NEW DELHI, June 11 (Bernama) -- The International Labour Organisation (ILO)
has warned that the global financial crisis would push more children,
particularly girls, into child labour.

The concern was raised in an ILO report titled "Give Girls a Chance:
Tackling Child Labour, a Key to the Future" which was released on the eve of the
World Day Against Child Labour.

"We have seen some real progress in reducing child labour. The policies
chosen in the present crisis will be a test of national and global commitment to
take this fight forward," said ILO director-general Juan Somavia in a statement
Thursday.

In the report, it was said that while recent global estimates indicate that
the number of children involved in child labour has been falling, the financial
crisis threatens to erode this progress.

The report added: "The danger of girls being forced into child labour is
linked to evidence that in many countries families give preference to boys when
making decisions on education of children."

Due to the increase in poverty triggered by the crisis, poor families with a
number of children may have to make a choice as to which children stay in
school, and often the male children get the education while girls risk being
taken out of school and entering the workforce at an early age.

"Much work undertaken by girls is hidden from the public view, which creates
particular dangers. Girls make up the overwhelming number of children in
domestic work in third party households and there are regular reports of the
abuse of child domestic workers," said the report.

According to ILO estimates, more than 100 million girls are involved in
child labour but it did not name any particular country.
-- BERNAMA