Theme: End Child Labour – Let's Speed Up Action

On 12th June 2025, Platform for Labour Action (PLA), alongside fellow civil society organizations in Uganda, joined the global community in commemorating the World Day Against Child Labour. This year’s theme is a powerful call to accelerate efforts to eliminate child labour, especially as the 2025 deadline for Sustainable Development Goal 8.7 approaches.

đź“Š The Reality in Uganda

Uganda continues to face a high prevalence of child labour, with over 6.2 million children aged 5–17 engaged in work, and more than 1 million in hazardous conditions. The most affected sectors include agriculture, domestic work, mining, and informal trade, especially in regions like Karamoja, Busoga, and Northern Uganda.

🚨 Why Action is Urgent

Despite progress in legislation and policy, implementation remains slow and underfunded. The informal economy, where 90% of child labour occurs, is largely unregulated. Economic pressures, including rising living costs and post-COVID-19 challenges, have worsened the situation.

📣 PLA’s Call to Action

PLA urges all stakeholders; government, parliament, development partners, private sector, and communities to:

  1. Strengthen Legal Frameworks: Amend laws to explicitly ban hazardous child labour in informal sectors.
  2. Invest in Social Protection: Expand child-sensitive programs like SAGE and school-linked incentives.
  3. Rebuild Enforcement Structures: Increase staffing and funding for labour and child protection officers.
  4. Ensure Access to Education: Address hidden school costs and support second-chance learning.
  5. Adopt National Case Management Systems: Improve coordination for child labour and trafficking cases.
  6. Integrate Child Labour Prevention into Development Plans: Align with national poverty reduction strategies.
  7. Engage the Private Sector: Promote child-labour-free supply chains.
  8. Empower Communities: Raise legal awareness and challenge harmful social norms.

đź’¬ Final Word

“Child labour is not inevitable; it is preventable. It is a choice society makes, and today, we call upon all of us to choose differently.”
— Grace Mukwaya, Executive Director, PLA

Let’s act now. Let’s protect childhood. Let’s end child labour.