Violence against child workers rife round world: ILO

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Violence against child workers rife round world: ILO

GENEVA (Reuters) - Millions of child laborers and adolescent workers around the world face routine violence at their jobs, ranging from verbal abuse to rape or murder, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) said on Monday.

In a report issued to mark United Nations' Universal Children's Day, the agency said the violence is often part of a collective workplace culture of physical brutality from which children employed in a workforce suffered most.

"For many child laborers, violence is a terrifying fact of daily life and must be stopped, together with child labor," declared ILO Director-General Juan Somavia in a comment on the report, which the agency said is aimed at ending the practice.

The ILO says there are some 218 million child laborers and some 100 million legally-employed adolescent workers around the globe. In some regions, it said, the majority of them encountered some form of violence or abuse.

Continued @ http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061120/wl_nm/un_children_dc_1

And a 14-yr-old boy who did something about it...

Indian boy wins world peace prize: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2760800

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1. ILO calls for zero tolerance of violence against children in the workplace

ILO calls for zero tolerance of violence against children in the workplace
Monday 20 November 2006 (ILO/06/54)

GENEVA (ILO News) - Millions of child labourers and legally employed adolescents face "systemic" violence at their places of work, ranging from physical or verbal abuse to sexual harassment, rape and even murder, according to a new "World Report on Violence Against Children" (Note 1) published today, Universal Children's Day.

The International Labour Organization (ILO), which contributed to the study, called for zero tolerance of violence against the estimated 218 million child labourers and some 100 million adolescents who are legally employed worldwide. The UN study is the most comprehensive examination of violence again children ever undertaken and is expected to launch a new movement to try and control or halt the practice.

Although global figures are unobtainable due to the "hidden" nature of the problem and the difficulties for children to report incidences of violence against them, the ILO found that in some areas, most working children faced some form of violence in the workplace - either verbal, physical or sexual.

"For many child labourers, violence is a terrifying fact of daily life and must be stopped together with child labour", said ILO Director-General Juan Somavia, in commenting on the UN report. "Worldwide, violence at work is generally on the increase and violence against children and adolescents who work is endemic, and in some cases just 'part of the job'. This must stop."

ILO researchers found that violence against working children is often "part of a collective workplace culture of physical brutality, shouting, bad language, and casual violence including sexual harassment, and in extreme cases, even rape or murder". In addition, the ILO said these children represent the most vulnerable group amid a generalized global increase in violence at the workplace (Note 2). The report called for "a policy of zero tolerance of violence against children who are working".

Continued @ http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/inf/pr/2006/54.htm

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6. Today (November 20) is UNIVERSAL CHILDREN'S DAY

Universal Children's Day
November 20

The United Nations General Assembly recommended in 1954 (resolution 836 (IX)) that all countries institute a Universal Children's Day, to be observed as a day of worldwide fraternity and understanding between children and of activity promoting the welfare of the world's children. It suggested to governments that the Day be observed on the date which each considers appropriate. The date of 20 November marks the day in which the Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, in 1959, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, in 1989.

Declaration of the Rights of the Child: http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/25.htm

Convention on the Rights of the Child: http://www.unicef.org/crc/index.html

UNICEF: http://www.unicef.org/

Human Rights Education Associates: http://www.hrea.org/feature-events/child-rights-day.php


http://www.lifebridge.org/undays/childrensday.htm

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7. ...

:kick:

[donsu]

2. kicking for justice for children

nt

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4. Thanks for kicking & caring!

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3. World Report on Violence against Children

Download World Report on Violence against Children @ http://www.unviolencestudy.org/ (PDF Document)

From Chapter 1...

INTRODUCTION

The full range and scale of all forms of violence against children are only now becoming visible, as is the evidence of the harm it does. This book documents the outcomes and recommendations of the process of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Study on Violence against Children.

‘The Study’ is the first comprehensive, global study on all forms of violence against children. It builds on the model of the study on the impact of armed conflict on children, prepared by Graça Machel and presented to the General Assembly in 1996, and follows the World Health Organization’s 2002 World Report on Violence and Health.1

The Study is also the first United Nations (UN) study to engage directly and consistently with children, underlining and reflecting children’s status as rights holders, and their right to express views on all matters that affect them and have their views given due weight.

The central message of the Study is that no violence against children is justifiable, and all violence against children is preventable. The Study reveals that in every region, in stark contradiction to States’ human rights obligations and children’s developmental needs, much violence against children remains legal, State-authorised and socially approved. The Study aims to mark a definitive global turning point: an end to the justification of violence against children, whether accepted as ‘tradition’ or disguised as ‘discipline’.

There can be no compromise in challenging violence against children. Children’s uniqueness – their human potential, their initial fragility and vulnerability, their dependence on adults for their growth and development – make an unassailable case for more, not less, investment in prevention and protection from violence.

In recent decades some extreme forms of violence against children, including sexual exploitation and trafficking, female genital mutilation (FGM), the worst forms of child labour and the impact of armed conflict, have provoked international outcry and achieved a consensus of condemnation, although no rapid remedy. But in addition to these extreme forms of violence, many children are routinely exposed to physical, sexual and psychological violence in their homes and schools, in care
and justice systems, in places of work and in their communities. All of this has devastating consequences for their health and well-being, now and in the future.

http://www.unviolencestudy.org (Chapter 1, "An end to violence against children")

[Greyhound]

5. How else are we to protect obscene corporate profits and outrageous

executive salaries, without abusing those we are stealing from? :eyes:
:kick: & R