This joint report by Human Rights Watch, Initiative for Social Economic Rights, and Friends of the Nation, examines the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on child labour, children’s rights and poverty in Ghana, Nepal, and Uganda. It analyses responses, such as cash transfers, and provides recommendations to governments, donors, and companies to address issues related to child protection, education, and child labour.
Researchers interviewed 81 children (48 boys and 33 girls) between the age of 8 and 17 in the three countries. The majority of children reported that their family’s income had been negatively impacted by the pandemic. Some children also reported working, including carrying out hazardous tasks, for the first time to help support their families through this time.