Strengthening Human Rights and Rule of Law to Combat Child Labor in Iraq: Urgent Measures Needed

Tackling Child Labor in Iraq: A Human Rights and Rule of Law Perspective

The Iraqi government has acknowledged the persistent and widespread issue of child labor, despite efforts to reduce school dropout rates through scholarship programs. According to Najm al-Aqabi, spokesperson for the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, the ministry has implemented several legal and educational measures to combat child labor. These efforts include raising awareness among families registered in the social protection database and collaborating with the Children's Parliament to develop comprehensive child protection policies. The majority of child laborers are found in brick factories, popular markets, and industrial neighborhoods.

Legal and Institutional Measures

The ministry has taken decisive steps by referring violators to competent courts and imposing financial penalties. Inspection committees have been actively monitoring the situation, noting a significant increase in child labor, especially in local markets. Families of working children are being contacted to secure legal pledges obliging them to return their children to school and refrain from engaging them in work.

Despite these efforts, child labor remains prevalent due to Iraq's deteriorating economic conditions and the absence of primary breadwinners in many families. This economic pressure forces some families to send their children to work at an early age. Al-Aqabi emphasized the importance of enforcing labor laws that prohibit the employment of children under the age of 15, highlighting the severe negative impacts on future generations.

Human Rights and Rule of Law Perspectives

From a human rights standpoint, the prevalence of child labor in Iraq represents a significant violation of children's rights, as enshrined in international conventions such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. These rights include the right to education, protection from economic exploitation, and the right to develop in a safe and nurturing environment.

The rule of law perspective underscores the need for robust enforcement of existing legal frameworks. Article 11 of the Iraqi Labor Law outlines penalties for those who violate child labor provisions, including imprisonment and fines. However, the persistence of child labor indicates gaps in enforcement and the need for stronger legal mechanisms to protect vulnerable children.

Recommendations and Future Actions

1. Strengthen Enforcement Mechanisms: Enhance the capacity of inspection committees and judicial bodies to ensure strict enforcement of labor laws. This includes regular monitoring and swift legal action against violators.

2. Expand Educational Opportunities: Increase access to quality education and vocational training for children and adolescents to provide viable alternatives to child labor. Scholarships and financial support should be expanded to reach more families in need.

3. Economic Support for Families: Implement social protection programs that provide financial assistance to families, reducing the economic pressure that drives child labor. This could include direct cash transfers, food assistance, and employment opportunities for adults.

4. Public Awareness Campaigns: Launch nationwide campaigns to raise awareness about the detrimental effects of child labor and the importance of education. These campaigns should target both urban and rural areas and involve community leaders and civil society organizations.

5. International Collaboration: Work closely with international organizations such as the International Labor Organization (ILO) to implement best practices and benefit from technical assistance and funding.

In conclusion, addressing the child labor crisis in Iraq requires a multifaceted approach that combines legal enforcement, economic support, and educational opportunities. By prioritizing these areas, Iraq can make significant progress in safeguarding children's rights and building a more equitable and prosperous future.

The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs pointed to the expansion of the phenomenon of child labor in the country, despite the decrease in dropout rates compared to previous years, as a result of their inclusion in scholarships.

Ministry spokesman Najm al-Aqabi explained that his ministry has taken several legal steps and measures to reduce the phenomenon of child labor, through awareness and education for families registered in the social protection database, as well as cooperation with the Children's Parliament and those in charge of developing a child protection policy, especially since most of the workers were registered in brick factories, popular markets and industrial neighborhoods. He pointed out that the ministry referred violators to the competent courts, and fined them financially, through the field follow-up of the inspection committees, which monitored a significant increase in the number of children engaged in work in local markets, indicating that they directed to communicate with the children's families to agree with them in accordance with a legal pledge obliging them to return them to school and not to engage them in work again.

He stressed that the scholarship contributed to the return of a large number of dropout children to school, compared to previous years, but the rates of child labor are still high as a result of the deteriorating economic situation and the absence of the breadwinner, forcing some families to force their children to work at an early age, warning that the labor law prohibits the employment of children before the age of 15, because of the serious negative effects that this crime has on the future generation, stressing the need to apply the provisions of the labor law in this regard.

Despite national campaigns and punitive measures, child labor is still prevalent in the country, as the head of the Strategic Center for Human Rights in Iraq , Fadel Al-Gharawi, revealed earlier that Iraq ranks fourth in the Arab world in child labor. It is noteworthy that the Iraqi Labor Law limited child labor, as it specified penal penalties in article 11 thereof, as it stipulated that anyone who violates the provisions of the articles on child labor, discrimination, forced labor and sexual harassment shall be punished by imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months and a fine not exceeding one million dinars, or by either of these two penalties.

In the middle of last year, the Ministry of Labour considered the phenomenon of child labor "the worst in the history of Iraq", announcing the launch of a national campaign in cooperation with the International Labor Organization that includes a series of activities aimed at addressing the worst forms of child labor in the country.