Iraq tries to stop child labor by providing salaries to families
A child works at a car repair shop in Baghdad. Photo: UNICEF
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs introduced on Monday five measures aiming to eliminate the phenomenon of child labor, and allocated salaries to some families to help them not to send their children to work.
Director of Labor and Vocational Training in the Iraqi Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, Raed Jabbar, said the problem of child labor is caused by the economic condition, as most poor families push their children to work under difficult conditions, according to the Iraqi News Agency (INA).
“The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, in cooperation with the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and the International Labour Organization (ILO), is trying to stop the phenomenon of child labor,” Jabbar explained in a statement cited by INA.
Jabbar also elaborated that there are teams from the ministry that carry out inspections to make sure work places do not have working children. According to the law, employers who hire kids below legal age are sued by the court.
Jabbar indicated that the ministry launched a campaign in Baghdad and other governorates to educate families and employers about the dangers of child labor.
The Director of Labor and Vocational Training explained that the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs agreed to grant salaries to many families against pledges that these families will not send their children to work, additionally, send these children back to schools in cooperation with the Ministry of Education.