‘Child labour: Ministry says children may be forced to work due to Covid-19’ 12 June 2020

Malawi has today joined the rest of the world in commemorating the World Day Against Child Labour amid concerns that Covid-19 may push children into child labour as families look to increase income. The day, commemorated on June 12, was set aside by the International Labour Organization (ILO) to serve as a platform to raise awareness among the communities on the evils of child labour. This year, the day is commemorated under theme “Covid-19: Protect children from child labour, now more than ever”.

…“When crises such as the Covid-19 strikes, children are the first to suffer, because it has potential to push millions of vulnerable children, presently at home following closure of schools, into child labour in order to supplement declining family incomes. “The present child labourers are at a greater risk of facing circumstances that are even more difficult, including working longer hours,” she explained. She then urged all the players in the fight against child labour to take measures to protect children from falling into child labour due to the impact of coronavirus….The National Child labour Survey of 2015 revealed that 38 per cent of the children in Malawi were engaged in child labor while globally, about 152 Million children aged 5-17 years are engaged in child labor.