Phase two implemented to combat child labor [Archives:2006/923/Business & Economy]

By: Mahyoub Al-Kamali

Yemen's Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor has begun executing phase two of a child labor fighting project. The ministry completed phase in mid-2005, assisted by the International Labor Organization (ILO), the International Program for Fighting Child Labor and other relevant parties.

Muna Salem, child labor director at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor, explained that phase two focuses on returning children to school and conducting a vocational program to train working children ages 14-18 in coordination with the Ministry of Technical Education and Vocational Training.

In this regard, there will be several short training courses involving 150 children already working in professions like commerce and car maintenance workshops, among others. Training will be according to scientific methods, at the end of which they will receive professional certificates.

The project also will begin training members of families with child laborers to enable them to manage private projects to gain income. Such courses will focus on training young girls in sewing, hairdressing and simple household industries with the aim of helping the family improve its living standard and withdraw children from the labor market without harming the family. Salem said the ministry completed a draft plan to fight child labor that it began in 2005 in cooperation with UNICEF, the ILO and the World Bank. The ministry will refer the plan to the cabinet for discussion and approval.

The plan, which is to be implemented over 10 years, was discussed in eight governorates where child labor is increasing, including Sana'a, Taiz, Aden, Ibb, Hodeidah, Hajah, Abyan and Mahwit. It also was discussed in nationwide workshops, after which several remarks were considered during the plan's final drafting.
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