Global March Against Child Labour Celebrates its 20th Anniversary
“The original Global March arrived in Geneva in June 1998, when children from all continents entered the International Labour Conference and put a challenge to the world: we want books and toys, and an end to child labour.”
~ Kailash Satyarthi, Global March Honorary President
Celebrating 20 years of the Global March
20 years after, we celebrate today the World Day Against Child Labour and the 20th Anniversary of our member and founder, the Global March Against Child Labour (Global March).
For the occasion, Global March and the International Labour Organization (ILO) organised a joint event on 4 June 2018 during the International Labour Conference (ILC) at the Palais des Nations, Geneva.
In 20 years, the Global March played a pivotal role in raising awareness and improving the lives of millions of children around the world.
Still, there are 152 millions children worldwide that are “trapped in the international supply chains”. So this year, the Global March took its action online with a Virtual March Against Child Labour on Facebook and Twitter, which is ending today. The campaign aimed at mobilising voices across different online platforms and engaging stakeholders such as children, youth, employers’ and workers’ organizations, influencers, parliamentarians and civil society. The message to end Child labour by 2025 was spread to more than 858,000 people on Twitter and 206,000 on Facebook across 4 continents.
Child labour and education
“Free, quality, public education for all children is the key to ending child labour; and ending child labour is a prerequisite to achieving education for all.” - Kailash Satyarthi
As a founding member of the GCE, Global March and the GCE have been longstanding partners, contributing in a very significant manner to advancing the education cause. Promoting education as a basic human right is a milestone in the fight for securing a rightful childhood for children, and is adding power to the efforts to end child labour.
GCE President Camilla Croso asserted on the occasion of the World Day Against Child Labour last year, “The Global Campaign for Education is committed to support the global fight against child labour through its increased efforts on education for all children. We understand and acknowledge that education is not only key to preventing child labour, but also ensures resilience and a safe haven for those who are rescued from exploitation, helping them rebuild their lives and futures. We fully support the work of anti-child labour organisations such as the Global March Against Child Labour.”
“It is in our power to end child labour; it is urgent, for 152 million children cannot wait; and I strongly believe that it is possible to achieve this.” – Kailash Satyarthi
You can act as well, and add your voice by joining the virtual March on Facebook here.
