Kurdistan
Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Kwestan Mohammed speaking to Rudaw on June 12, 2023. Photo: Screengrab/Rudaw
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - There are over a thousand child workers in the provinces of Sulaimani and Halabja, Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) minister of labor and social affairs said on Monday, marking World Day Against Child Labor.
First launched in 2002 by the International Labor Organization (ILO), World Day Against Child Labor was a means to highlight the struggle and plight of children under labor worldwide. In the Kurdistan Region, children also get their unfair share of labor, despite efforts for its eradication.
Speaking to Rudaw, Kwestan Mohammed said that according to joint surveys conducted by the ministry and Rwanga foundation, 1,466 children are actively working in Sulaimani and Halabja provinces. Mohammed did not share any data regarding Erbil and Duhok provinces.
According to the Iraqi labor law, children over 15 are allowed to work, as long as it is not hard labor. Business owners who subject children to hard labor will be punished.
“In Sulaimani, complaints have been filed against 5,000 business owners, some of which are related to violating the rights of the working children,” said Mohammed.
On Monday, the non-governmental social educational economic development (SEED) organization, released a statement on the occasion of World Day against Child Labor commending the Iraqi government’s endeavors to develop the draft of a Child Protection Law. SEED proposed several recommendations to strengthen the draft of the law.
In November last year, a draft of the Child Protection Law was taken into the Iraqi parliament, however, the draft faced several challenges and criticism over conflict with previously passed laws as well as some of the points in the law lacking a "realistic balance" between protecting the child and the societal values, customs and traditions.
According to the United Nation’s International Child Agency Fund (UNICEF), since the beginning of monitoring violations against children in Iraq, over nine thousand children are killed or maimed from 2008 until the end of 2022, and more than one child has been killed or maimed on average according to the report.
First launched in 2002 by the International Labor Organization (ILO), World Day Against Child Labor was a means to highlight the struggle and plight of children under labor worldwide. In the Kurdistan Region, children also get their unfair share of labor, despite efforts for its eradication.
Speaking to Rudaw, Kwestan Mohammed said that according to joint surveys conducted by the ministry and Rwanga foundation, 1,466 children are actively working in Sulaimani and Halabja provinces. Mohammed did not share any data regarding Erbil and Duhok provinces.
According to the Iraqi labor law, children over 15 are allowed to work, as long as it is not hard labor. Business owners who subject children to hard labor will be punished.
“In Sulaimani, complaints have been filed against 5,000 business owners, some of which are related to violating the rights of the working children,” said Mohammed.
On Monday, the non-governmental social educational economic development (SEED) organization, released a statement on the occasion of World Day against Child Labor commending the Iraqi government’s endeavors to develop the draft of a Child Protection Law. SEED proposed several recommendations to strengthen the draft of the law.
In November last year, a draft of the Child Protection Law was taken into the Iraqi parliament, however, the draft faced several challenges and criticism over conflict with previously passed laws as well as some of the points in the law lacking a "realistic balance" between protecting the child and the societal values, customs and traditions.
According to the United Nation’s International Child Agency Fund (UNICEF), since the beginning of monitoring violations against children in Iraq, over nine thousand children are killed or maimed from 2008 until the end of 2022, and more than one child has been killed or maimed on average according to the report.
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