Morocco poised to fight child labour
2008-06-15
Many Moroccan children are forced to work to supplement their parents' income. The Moroccan government is working to improve education and combat poverty to curb the phenomenon.
Imane Belhaj in Casablanca contributed to this report – 15/06/08
 [Imane Belhaj] Of the 600,000 7- to 14-year-olds in Morocco who don't go to school, some 16% work to support their family income. |
As the international community marked World Day Against Child Labour on Thursday (June 12th), Moroccan Employment and Vocational Training Minister Jamal Aghmani noted Morocco's ongoing commitment to eradicating the phenomenon and building what he called a Morocco "worthy of its children".
The International Labour Organization (ILO) launched the annual event in 2002 to call attention to the worldwide crisis. With the support of the ILO's Fighting Child Labour Program, the Labour Directorate of the Moroccan Ministry of Employment, Social Affairs, and Solidarity conducted a comprehensive study on the issue four years ago to identify intervention mechanisms ranging from legislation to social programmes.
"Moroccan child labour experts [cited] poverty, poor quality education and poor access to education (particularly for girls), broken families, and widespread social acceptance of child labour as primary factors explaining the prevalence of child labour," Human Rights Watch said about the 2004 study, noting that "Morocco has one of the highest child labour rates in the Middle East and North Africa".
Study results helped Morocco prepare a national plan to help these "invisible children". Although Morocco had already ratified two ILO child labour conventions by 2001, it enacted a new Labour Code which went into effect in June 2004. The new code prohibits employing children less than 15 years of age, bans dangerous labour for all children under age 18 and provides for legal sanctions against employers who recruit children under the age of 15 to work.
The law is not enough, however, without a comprehensive strategy to address the socio-economic factors which contribute to this phenomenon, said Ahmed Leqsiouer, an expert at the International Labour Bureau (BIT) in Morocco.
"In addition to the growing poverty in rural areas, the general expenses allocated to curb child labour are still very little, foremost among which is attention for schooling. There are still 15 million children who don't go to school, including 600,000 children aged between 7 and 14 years. Of these children, 16% contribute to the family's income," he told Magharebia.
A study conducted last year under the ADROS initiative, sponsored by Washington, DC-based Management Systems International (MSI) showed that 380,000 Moroccan children under 15 years old left school in 2006, and that a number of them entered the labour market at an early age: "something that threatens the future of thousands of children by denying them the right to schooling and exposing them to all forms of dangers against their health, and their physical and psychological well-being".
Morocco's comprehensive strategy to curb child labour involves improving rural education and living conditions as well as fighting adult illiteracy so that parents may understand the need to educate their children instead of exposing them to work at an early age. Indeed, an ILO-World Bank report published in 2005 said that Moroccan parents’ level of education and access to water and electricity have a strong impact on whether rural children work.
Legal prohibition by itself did not stop the child labour problem in Morocco, agrees Said Haida of Association Hadaf. "Therefore, we are working on organising awareness campaigns for parents in order to convince them of the need to look for other means for their children's future instead of making them work," she told Magharebia.
However, Fatima, who makes her daughter Nozha work as a house maid, had a different opinion. She doesn't have any objections to her 14-year-old daughter's work.
"If it hadn't been for that work," she says, "we wouldn't have found a means of living to feed me, her three brothers and crippled father".
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acharif moulay abdellah bouskraoui Posted 2008-06-15
Not forgetting that we are a poor country and lack means, Morocco is doing its best. However, the NGOs should not become a choirboy, repeating whatever the strong countries tell them to say while forgetting to ask themselves if it is better for children to work under the state’s control or be left to the street. Before criticising, you need to think of a solution. In the past the children who worked had become responsible for their entire family. So, personally, I prefer that the poor children who are lacking in schooling work under the state’s control as it gives them another chance to educate themselves in their hours off work and get diplomas in the future.
مهدي Posted 2008-06-16
In terms of tackling this important topic, this is a widespread phenomenon in our society as of late. This topic should be seriously dealt with and should be dealt with with all interest by association, institutes and private organizations specializing in children's matters, especially oppressed children and those who live in difficult social conditions and deal with special conditions. They should be offered an opportunity to have a nice life like other kids, study and play. The competent authorities should control this topic seriously in Morocco and in all other countries. The tutors of the kids should be controlled so that they don't exploit the children through hard work which degrades the value of the child and society.
saidani miloudi Posted 2008-06-16
This article doesn't indicate what kind of work our children do.Most jobs they're exploited in are : -- sex abuse -- drug traffic -- charity -- theft __ shoe-shining etc... Because their parents and adult brothers are jobless , they take the initiative to save the family. " The CHILD IS FATHER OF THE MAN " WORDSWORTH said in the chimney sweeper song once in BRITAIN.
gol Posted 2008-06-16
The only way to fight against forced child labour that is the Morocco of tomorrow is to improve the living conditions of families by granting them living allowances, not stealing their last pennies to build the second largest mosque in the world!!!
fatima zohra Posted 2008-06-19
I think Magharebia is making a very very good effort.
karimi Posted 2008-10-11
Hi. Sometimes, taking into consideration our family and economic situation, we do not even dare to have little kids here. I think that perhaps, for girls who do not have money for school, this is good and right-minded for their families that need their daughters’ help instead of leaving her at home without anything to do.
Anonymous Posted 2008-10-17
We must address this important issue.
manar Posted 5 days ago
This is nice. I thank you for it.
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