35-Plus Groups Fighting To Reduce Child Labor In the U.S. and abroad…

Please listen to the podcast and Reid's discussion of alarming child labor trends in the U.S. here:   https://tinyurl.com/dta889h

by Jacqueline Aguilar, Child Labor Coalition intern   I grew up in a small rural area named Center, Colorado which has a population of about 2,000 people. Growing up my parents were always working in the fields,…

May 1, 2023 As organizations working to address human trafficking and labor exploitation, we are appalled by the horrific conditions children experienced after fleeing to the United States for refuge. This series in the…

By Alma Hernandez Imagine being a five-year-old child; happy and carefree. The age where you either attend pre-k or start kindergarten. But can you imagine a five-year-old working in farm fields in hot 90-degree humid weather…

For immediate release: March 31, 2022 Contact: Reid Maki, (202) 207-2820, reidm@nclnet.org Washington, D.C.—The Child Labor Coalition (CLC), representing 38 groups engaged in the fight against domestic and…

January 21, 2022   Dear Governor Evers:   The Child Labor Coalition (CLC) based in Washington, D.C., represents 38 groups who work to reduce child labor and the dangers of child work in the U.S. and abroad.…

By Katarzyna Rybarczyk Around the world children as young as ten years old fight in armed conflicts. According to the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, adopted by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in 1999,…

Of the 152 million children trapped in child labor, 64 million are girls [source]. 73 million children are trapped in hazardous child labor—27.8 million are girls. 29 million women and girls are in modern slavery—71…

By Reid Maki, Child Labor Coalition In 2014, under pressure from advocacy groups like the Child Labor Coalition and Human Rights Watch (HRW) concerned about hazardous child labor on tobacco farms, several tobacco companies…

By Reid Maki, National Consumers League and Child Labor Coalition I didn’t quite believe my eyes when I saw the  New York Times headline: “For Indonesia’s Child Jockeys, Time to Retire at 10, After 5 years of…

By Vashti Kelly, Health and Safety Program Manager, Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs   Children from Latino migrant farmworker families are some of the most educationally marginalized students in the…

The Children’s Act for Responsible Employment and Farm Safety was introduced by Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard on June 20, 2019 with 24 original cosponsors (bold). For the goals of the CARE Act, click here.   Nanette…

 For immediate release: December 6, 2018 Contact: Reid Maki, Child Labor Coalition, (202) 207-2820, reidm@nclnet.org    Washington, DC--In the wake of a new child labor report by the Government…

  Photos found at vox.com People around the world have been shocked and repelled by the behavior of the Trump Administration in separating children from their families at our southern border. Children…

The countries identified by the US government in 2018 as using child soldiers: Burma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iran, Iraq, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen.  

In 2015 and 2016 we averaged 27 teen work deaths a year compared to 72.5 deaths in 1999 and 2000. Data from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries by year: 2016 = 30   (report) 2015 = 24   (report) 2014…

Press Release February 8, 2018 Contact: Reid Maki, Child Labor Coalition, (202) 207-2820, reidm@nclnet.org  Washington, DC--The Child Labor Coalition (CLC) today joins nearly 30 NGOs and trade unions…

By Deborah Andrews, Contributing Writer Legal protections for children working in hazardous conditions in Nicaragua are robust on paper, but systematic publicity, implementation and enforcement of the law is missing. Nicaragua…

There’s no doubt that humans love chocolate. Globally, we consume $80 to $100 billion worth of it a year. Despite its popularity and the joy it gives us, there is a dark side to chocolate: cocoa, its main ingredient, is…

[Adopted in 2016 and published in 2017]   Articles 4(1), 5 and 7(1) of the Convention. Determination of types of hazardous work, monitoring mechanisms and penalties. Hazardous work in agriculture from 16 years of age. The…

October 18, 2016   The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500   Dear Mr. President: As you approach the final months of your term in office, we would first like to commend…

For immediate release: August 3, 2016 Contact: Reid Maki, Child Labor Coalition, (202) 207-2820, reidm@nclnet.org Washington, DC—A letter signed by 110 groups, representing tens of millions of Americans, is urging President…

The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2016 is a missed opportunity. I was hoping that today the elected leaders of our country will acknowledge that the value of freedom and childhood is greater…

[This piece by CLC member Sonia Mistry of the  Solidarity Center was first published on June 10th, 2016 in Thomas Reuters Foundation News.] He was completely covered in orange dust, from his hair to his toes. Maybe 7…

 One hundred years ago, 100 workers died each day in America. Today, that number—with a U.S. population 3.5 times greater—is 13. While the loss of many manufacturing and farm jobs explains some of this drop, it doesn’t…

The most common way for a teen worker to die is in a traffic accident. In 2010, 32,708 Americans—about 90 a day—died in car accidents. Fifteen of the 34 youth workers under 18 who died in 2010—44 percent—perished…

In terms of raw numbers, retail establishments, restaurants, and grocery stores are three of the largest employers of teen workers.  According to 2009 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 44 percent…

Transportation accidents, broadly defined to include almost any moving vehicle, killed 19 of the 22 teens under 18 in the latest BLS Fatal Occupational Injuries report covering 2014. All eight of the youth workers who died…

Landscaping and yard work is a frequent entry point into the job market for teenagers. However, the sharp implements and machinery used to do the work present dangers for teens. Often, young workers are left unsupervised…

[Section 1 of the "Five Most Dangerous Jobs for Teens" Report 2016] Nearly 5,000 workers die on the job each year—each day, an average of 13 workers are killed on the job—some of those workers are teenagers. Each of…

May 3, 2016 [This letter in support of ILAB funding was recently sent to appropriators Senator Roy Blunt and Senator Patty Murray, and Representatives Tom Cole and Rosa DeLauro on behalf of 46 organizations, representing…

By Mary Donovan, CLC Contributing Writer From mobile phones to big data analytics, technology can help in the fight against human trafficking. Access to a phone can enable a victim to call friends, family, or a hotline for…

85 million children are currently in dangerous, dirty, and degrading jobs; $53 million saved in budget deal to ensure children are protected from exploitative labor FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 17, 2015 MEDIA CONTACT: Reid Maki, Child Labor Coalition, (202) 207-2820, reidm@nclnet.org Washington, DC—The Congressional budget package released today continues funding for programs to end child labor after the House and Senate voted to cut funding to the Department of Labor’s impactful and critical program in June 2015. The International Labor Affairs Bureau (ILAB) directs the U.S. Government’s efforts to end forced labor and child labor around the world. Advocates for protecting children from child labor are thankful for Congressional leadership.

Despite great progress in reducing child labor, Congress is very close to cutting all of the Department of Labor’s funding for child labor grant programs. Both the House and Senate have proposed cuts in their budgets and…

Child Labor Coalition Statement in Support of the Restoration of Funding for US Department of Labor’s ILAB Child-Labor Programs   The Child Labor Coalition, whose members include the following 35 groups, representing…

  Jestoni* quit school at age 14 in order to take part in small-scale mining as a means to help support his family. They had abandoned farming for mining because of frequent flooding in their region of the Philippines.…

Tips for Teen Workers, Parents, and Employers to Help Working Teens Stay Safe in the Work Place  The National Consumers League’s Guide, Updated Annually Report author: Reid Maki, Director of Child Labor Advocacy National…

Do you ever think about people from the past you wish you could go back in time to meet? At the top or near the top of my list is César Chávez, who was born on March 31st in 1927. César died in 1993 a few months before…

Child labor among girls fell by 40% between 2000 and 2012, compared to 25% for boys.   Source: ILO

[This article originally appeared in The Christian Science Monitor on October 21, 2014] By Nina Smith, GoodWeave International  My long-time friend, colleague, and mentor has just been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Kailash…

Washington, DC – The Child Labor Coalition (CLC), a group of 34 organizations dedicated to fighting exploitative child labor, is celebrating the awarding of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize to Kailash Satyarthi and Malala…

Dear Mr. President, We write to you as organizations representing millions of Americans, including teachers, healthcare professionals, workers, farmworkers, and advocates concerned about the safety, education, and welfare…

Letter to Secretary of State John Kerry regarding Thailand's downgrade in the 2014 TIP Report Publication Date: June 20, 2014 Dear Secretary Kerry: We write today to applaud the U.S. State Department’s decision to downgrade…

By Julie Duffy, Child Labor Coalition Intern No one expected 18 year-old Christina LoBrutto's first overnight shift at the Pathmark grocery store in Old Bridge, New Jersey to be her last. Sadly, however, the recent high…

When children are exploited for the economic gains of others, everybody loses--the children lose, their families lose, their country loses, the world loses. When even one child is exploited, every one of us is diminished.

For immediate release: February 28, 2013 Contact: Reid Maki, (202) 207-2820, reidm@nclnet.org On February 23, Saudi Arabia became the 167th country to ratify ILO Convention 138, setting the minimum age at which children…

  As the children’s rights advocate for Human Rights Watch, one of the questions I’m asked most frequently is why the US has not ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Currently, only two other countries…

Dr. Johnson (far right) pictured here with CLC members Jackie Starr, Norma Flores Lopez, Judy Gearhart, and Reid Maki (left to right) Child labor advocates from around the world were allowed to give four-minute plenary speeches…

 By Sharon L. Fawcett, CLC Contributing Writer “I clean the floor many times in a day. When it is not well done, my employer throws the dirty water at my face.” This is how girl from Togo describes her experience with…

For Immediate Release Tanzania: Hazardous Life of Child Gold Miners Government, World Bank, Donors Should Address Child Labor in Mines   (Dar Es Salaam, August 28, 2013) – Children as young as eight-years-old…

[Please click on the title above to view the infographic.]     This is the first in a series of  child-labor-related infographics in which we examine legal protections for children. It is important to note…

International travel allows you to experience different cultures, but vacations that are meant to be carefree and fun pose some threats as well. Among these threats is the risk of becoming a victim of human trafficking. An…

Grecia Balli began working in farm fields when she was 10 years old. At age 14, she decided to drop out of school because her life as a migrant farmworker caused her to switch schools frequently, making it difficult for…

For immediate release: June 25, 2013 Contact: Reid Maki, (202) 207-2820, reidm@nclnet.org On June 19 the US placed Uzbekistan in the lowest rank in the Global Trafficking in Persons Report for failing to end forced labor,…

Press release: June 11, 2013 The International Labour Organization supervisory body recommends that the Uzbek government to take urgent and serious action to end forced labour of children and adults in the cotton sector. (Geneva)…

News Release ILAB News Release: [05/20/2013] Contact Name: Gloria Della or Egan Reich Phone Number: (202) 693-4679 or x4960 Email: Della.Gloria.D@dol.gov or Reich.Egan.2@dol.gov Release Number: 13-0972-NAT $9 million in…

Of Ships and Men   There are ships like hotels horizontal and there are children and children   breaking, dragging these dead vessels through beach sand soiled with oil   through the swirling peace…

Apple Inc. announced today that its internal audits had found more than 106 underage employees at 11 different locations in its supply chain; it found another 70 “historical” cases of child labor. The company also said…

With the holidays upon us, many American look forward to trimming their Christmas tree and spending time with their loved ones, especially their children. For many kids, Christmas invokes the happiest of memories, but not…

NATIONAL CONSUMERS LEAGUE PRESS STATEMENT For immediate release: October 30, 2012 Contact: Reid Maki, (703) 801-3338, reidm@nclnet.org The Oct. 28th New York Times story “Silos Loom As Death Traps on Farms” stands…

An estimated 1 million children perform hazardous work in mines around the world.

  October 9, 2012 [Human Rights Watch interviewed 10 children, some as young as 11, working in tanneries. Many children work 12 or even 14 hours a day, considerably more than the five-hour limit for adolescents in…

According to a Tulane University study, 40 per cent of the 820,000 children working in cocoa in Ivory Coast are not enrolled in school, and only about 5 per cent of the Ivorian children are paid for their work.

In the Philippines, an estimated 246,000 children experience abuse, violence and child labor living on the streets.

SEOUL | Tue Sep 4, 2012 4:28am IST (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics Co said on Monday it would inspect 250 Chinese companies which make products for the South Korean firm to ensure no labor laws are broken after a U.S.-based…

For Immediate Release [Human Rights Watch Press Release, 8/6/12] (Manila, August 6, 2012) – The Philippines’ ratification of the Domestic Workers Convention will bring the groundbreaking international treaty into legal…

By Dermot Doherty and Stanley James - Jun 29, 2012 9:51 AM ET [from Bloomberg] Nestle SA (NESN) needs to step up measures to combat child labor in the Ivory Coast cocoa industry, according to a study requested by the…

In June 2012, the ILO estimated that 21 million people had experienced forced labor over a 10-year period--5.5 million had been children.

While work plays an important role in the development of teenagers, teens and parents should carefully think about prospective jobs that teens are considering and assess possible workplace dangers that those jobs might possess. TIPS…

[The following is a segment from NCL's Five Most Dangerous Jobs for Teens 2012 Report] The competitive teen job market means that some teens might be tempted to take jobs that are less safe than others out of desperation…

Bindu Shajan Perappadan [from The Hindu, 2012] Gross violation: NCPCR members found child labourers in large numbers in Bt cotton fields in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. The latest NCPCR survey report…

According to Bureau of Labor Statistics fatality records, construction and roofing are two of the ten most dangerous jobs in America. In 2007, an estimated 372,000 workers of all ages were injured in construction accidents…

One hundred years ago, 100 workers died each day in America. Today, that number—with a U.S. population 3.5 times greater—is 13. Safety training, education, and regulation works. Teen workplace fatality rates have also…

In late July 2011, two 14-year-olds girls, Jade Garza and Hannah Kendall went off to their temporary job of detasseling corn in a field in northwestern Illinois where they worked for the Monsanto Corporation. The girls were…

AFP | [The Jordan Times]    RABAT — More than 30,000 children under the age of 15 are employed in Morocco as domestic servants, according to figures released Tuesday by the planning ministry. A law banning this practice…

It’s that frightening time of year for many teenagers: school is about to let out and the search for a summer job is about to begin. Jobs for teens are an important part of youth development, providing both needed income…

News Release WHD News Release: [04/26/2012] Contact Name: Joshua R. Lamont or Elizabeth Alexander Phone Number: (202) 693-4661 or x4675 Release Number: 12-0826-NAT Labor Department statement on withdrawal of proposed rule…

Washington, DC—Today, the Child Labor Coalition (CLC) held a press conference to dispel some of the misinformation surrounding the Department of Labor’s recently proposed safety updates to the rules governing child…

Tobacco is Malawi's top export but at the cost of its children's health and education. By Anna Rabin Landlocked and with approximately 80% of its population living in rural areas, Malawi’s economy is largely structured…

According to U.S. DOL/ILAB, bricks are produced by child labor in 15 countries: Afghanistan, Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, China, Ecuador, India, Nepal, North Korea, Pakistan, Peru, Uganda, and Colombia…

FBR Staff Writer Published 31 January 2012 The Hershey Company, the US-based chocolate manufacturer, plans to invest $10m over the next five years in West Africa, in programs to lower child labor and improve farming communities,…

By Humphrey HawksleyBBC News, Gujarat Civil rights activist Jignesh Mevani describes the conditions endured by India's child cotton workers The noise was deafening and air in the factory in northern Gujarat was so thick…

In September 2011, the Department of Labor proposed a rule to increase protections for workers age 15 and younger who are employed in agriculture. There are many misconceptions about how the rule would affect young agricultural…

This isn't a repeat from the 19th century | by Nick Farrell in Rome | Filed in Business Apple California California has introduced a law requiring Apple and thousands of others to make sure that slave labour isn't…

Printed from The Times of India NEW DELHI: Labour minister Mallikarjun Kharge told the Lok Sabha that there has been 45% reduction in child labour between 2004-05 and 2009-10. Replying to a question by C M Chang, Kharge…

Bloomberg article “Victoria’s Secret Revealed in Child Picking Burkina Faso Cotton” published yesterday draws attention to the plight of “enfants confies”, foster children common across West Africa. The article…

In Cambodia,  52 per cent of children aged between seven and 14 work—over 1.4 million children.

BY John Cox Californian staff writer  Armando Ramirez was about 14 years old when he left his home in southern Mexico to find work in California. First he and his 20-year-old brother went to Salinas to apply for a job…

A coalition accuses The Hershey Co. of refusing to commit to buying cocoa produced without child or forced labor By STEVE SNYDER Staff Writer At the height of the Halloween candy-buying season, The Hershey Co. is…