Maputo, 13 May (AIM) – About 2.4 million Mozambican minors have already been involved in child labor since the approval of the list of dangerous jobs in 2027, which means that the country must strengthen the protection of children against dangerous activities.
According to Amélia Manjate, head of the Department of Studies and Legislation at the National Directorate of Labor, speaking on Tuesday, in Maputo, at the meeting aimed at discussing and eliminating the worst forms of child labor, internet brings new types of work and “children are now being used on the internet.”
“This number is frightening considering the universe of children we have in Mozambique, which means that we must update the list of jobs regarded as dangerous for current dynamics of living”, she said.
Manjate explained that the current list of dangerous jobs, approved in 2017, no longer fully responds to current dynamics, due to the emergence of new forms of child exploitation.
“We have new types of work, for example, work with the internet. Many children are now being used on the internet. We are now developing a new plan containing several strategic axes that cooperate towards the elimination of child labor,” she said.
According to Manjate, citing the Family Budget Survey (IOF), the northern province of Nampula and the central provinces of Tete and Zambézia continue to be among the most affected by the family budget survey.
For his part, Paulo Beirão, Permanent Secretary at the Labor Ministry, the government is preparing the second National Action Plan to combat the worst forms of child labor, following the completion of the first cycle (2018–2024).
“We are now developing the new plan, which contains several strategic axes that cooperate towards the elimination of child labor. Among the ongoing actions, we are raising awareness campaigns, inspections, and the reintegration of children removed from child labor”, he said.
According to Beirão, citing the Family Budget Survey (IOF), child labor has decreased from about 20 percent to 16 percent.
“However, children are still involved in dangerous work, mainly in the areas of agriculture, informal trade, domestic work, heavy cargo transport, fishing and mining,” he said.
Beirão advocated for greater involvement from all sectors of society to accelerate the eradication of the phenomenon.
(AIM)
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