Amman: Jordan has long been committed to combating child labor through comprehensive economic and social policies aimed at raising income levels and reducing poverty. The Ministry of Labor plays a pivotal role in these efforts, ensuring continuous monitoring and enforcement.
In observance of World Day Against Child Labor, Ministry of Labor spokesperson Muhammad Al-Zayoud announced the launch of the campaign “Childhood and Dreams… Not Work and Illusions.” This initiative seeks to unify national efforts to protect children from early labor, emphasizing the importance of education and care over the pursuit of income at a young age.
Al-Zayoud highlighted the importance of allowing children to experience their childhoods free from psychological and moral hazards, warning that child labor endangers their future. The Ministry of Labor has initiated a nationwide inspection campaign across all sectors to enforce the Jordanian Labor Law, focusing on using legal authority to curb child labor and taking strict action
against violators.
To mark the occasion, he said, the ministry, in collaboration with the International Labor Organization (ILO), produced two awareness videos. One targets the community and parents, while the other addresses employers, aiming to intensify efforts to combat child labor.
From the beginning of this year until last month, the Ministry of Labor conducted inspections of 1,611 establishments across the country. These inspections revealed 103 working children, resulting in 70 violations and 71 warnings issued to employers. The ministry also handled 32 complaints and 27 reports of child labor. These actions are part of the national strategy to reduce child labor (2022-2030), overseen by a coordinating committee to evaluate and monitor its implementation.
An activity matrix has been developed for the occasion, in partnership with relevant entities, to reduce child labor. The ministry has established two online platforms for reporting child labor complaints and violations: Childlabor.mol.gov.jo, and
hemayeh.jo.
In cooperation with the ILO, text messages were sent via Zain in all governorates to encourage the community, employers, and parents to work together to protect children from labor hazards and ensure their enrollment in schools for a brighter future.
Responding to inquiries from the Jordan News Agency, the Ministry of Social Development emphasized that child labor is a direct violation of children’s rights. The ministry has drafted a regulation in collaboration with various official and volunteer entities, which has been submitted to the Cabinet and is pending publication in the Official Gazette. This regulation aims to provide a comprehensive legislative environment to ensure maximum protection for working children.
The ministry clarified that the Juvenile Law of 2014 includes working children as those needing protection and care, integrating them into protective measures. The regulation seeks to continue interventions with working children, beyond merely penalizing employers, by granting the
Ministry of Social Development the authority to intervene judicially to ensure the child’s best interests and rights.
Linda Kalash, Executive Director of Tamkeen for Legal Aid and Human Rights, highlighted the increasing prevalence of child labor, linked to unemployment and rising poverty. The latest official figure from 2016, based on the national survey of working children by the Center for Strategic Studies at the University of Jordan, reported 75,982 working children, including 44,917 in hazardous work. The current number is estimated to exceed 100,000, especially following COVID-19, which saw many children leave school and enter the labor market.
Kalash noted that children often work long hours in difficult and inappropriate conditions, with some engaged in the worst forms of child labor, such as mechanics, waste collection, and begging. These activities harm their health and safety, exposing them to abuse and psychological and physical trauma. Children in hazardous jobs face a high risk of work-relate
d injuries, some resulting in disabilities. The exploitative nature of such work can instill feelings of inferiority and injustice, leading many children to deviate from social norms and values.
Kalash emphasized the need for a comprehensive review of child labor policies and laws, offering recommendations for their amendment and development to better protect children. Tamkeen also organizes awareness campaigns for employers, caregivers, and children, highlighting the legal regulations on child labor, the reasons behind it, the distinction between work and begging, and the occupational hazards children face. She called for the development of a specialized database on child labor, providing updated data on its prevalence and the conditions of working children in each governorate and sector. Addressing barriers to children’s rights to education and overcoming challenges that push them into the labor market are crucial, as is allocating resources to ensure their wellbeing and care.
Alaa Tewfiq, an educational
specialist and emotional intelligence trainer for children and adolescents, noted that depriving children of enjoying their childhood, characterized by discovering the world and their abilities through free play, deprives them of an essential component of their personal and cognitive development. It creates individuals with closed minds, lacking confidence and adaptability to life’s and society’s changes. The harsh conditions of child labor and the frequent mistreatment they face lead to defensive behaviors often characterized by violence and negative practices such as smoking and drug addiction.
Source: Jordan News Agency