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Tanzania |
CHILDREN
On 12 June 2001, Tanzania made an international commitment to the «Time-Bound Programme»; to fight the worst forms of child labour in the country
The implementation of this commitment at different levels has started and is continuing. However, people are asking themselves, if this commitment can really be translated into action vis à vis the government’s poverty eradication strategy.
The state of child labour in Tanzania
Complete statistics concerning the existence of child labour engaged in its worst forms, are not available. However, figures for a survey made in the year 2000-2001 concerning child labour, suggest that 4.1 million out of an estimated 10.2 million children aged between 5 and 14 years were not attending school. Instead, most of them were engaged in economic activities or in housework. The question could be asked: Why focus on the worst forms of child labour? Experience shows that targeting the worst forms of child labour is an effective way of mobilizing society to address the problem of child labour as a whole.
A recent report on child labour in Tanzania’s informal sector, estimates that about 2,000,000 children are involved in child labour activities nationwide. 60,000 of these are aged below 15.
But why do children opt to engage in child labour activities, especially in its worst forms? Poverty is the driving force which pushes children to engage in hazardous and dangerous work. It tempts poor parents to send children out to work so as to boost the household income.
There is also the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The death of breadwinners or their inability to work due to illness, tends to create severe hardships for their children. In Tanzania, there are more that one million HIV/AIDS orphans, and in no way can the traditional extended family safety net cater for such a huge burden. As a result, many such orphans have to look for ways and means to earn their living, and frequently the labour they engage in, is «work» in its worst form, such as commercial sex.
The structural adjustment programmes imposed on Tanzania and the consequent economic reforms, have also impacted and influenced children to be drawn into child labour activities. In most cases, these reforms have benefited urban centres at the expense of Tanzanians living in the rural areas. Living conditions have deteriorated in the rural areas, which pushes our young people to seek a better life and jobs in the urban centres.
Other factors pushing children into work are the incidence of broken marriages and single parenthood.
Society’s attitude towards child labour
On 12 June 2001, Tanzania made a political commitment to halt and eradicate all the worst forms of child labour. This took place when President Benjamin William Mkapa addressed the special session of the International Labour Conference in Geneva. He said: «I’m here to reaffirm my own political will and commitment, as well as that of my government, to do all in our power to fight all such worst forms of child labour.»
Since then, the Ministry of Labour, Youth Development and Sports has identified regions where many cases of the worst forms of child labour occur, as Tabora, Iringa, Singida, Dodoma and Dar es Salaam.
The Geneva Conference was also the occasion for launching the Time-Bound Programme. (A Time-Bound Programme is a set of tightly integrated and coordinated policies and programmes to prevent and eliminate a country’s worst forms of child labour within a defined period of time).
What must be done to make this Programme a success? Tanzania has committed itself to undertake a ten year programme to be implemented in phases. But according to Mr Elisa Lwakatare, Assistant Programme Manager, Child labour Unit in the Ministry of Labour, Youth Development and Sports, the success of the Programme depends on commitment at an individual level. «Now the government has committed itself both nationally and internationally, individual Tanzanians, too, need to join in the government’s efforts, by making similar commitments».
And in order to bring the Time-Bound programme down to a more local level, district child labour coordinators have been recruited. These officials will soon be trained and a plan of action prepared for them. Since they are the people living closer to the grass-roots level, their responsibilities will include identifying children most in need.
The next step will be to provide the children with viable alternatives by training them in various skills.
By launching the Time-Bound Programme on a local level in the worst offending districts, there is hope for its success.
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PeaceLink 2002 - Reproduction authorised, with usual acknowledgement