The World Day Against Child Labour (12 June) and the Day of the African Child (16 June) were commemorated from 12-14 June in the sub-prefecture of Gonaté in the Daloa department of Côte d'Ivoire.
These child protection awareness-raising activities are part of the Landscape and Referral project set up in 2022 in the Haut-Sassandra region by the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI). The aim of this project is to strengthen functional cooperation between industry, civil society and government players, with a view to ensuring a more protective environment for children and increasing the effectiveness of the fight against child labour.
As a major player in these activities organised by the regional coordination of the Child Labour Observation and Monitoring System in Côte d'Ivoire (SOSTECI), in collaboration with the Daloa socio-educational complex and organisations working to combat child labour in the Haut Sassandra region, ICI provided support and technical expertise to raise awareness among the Gonaté population, who turned out in large numbers for the three-day event. The awareness-raising activities focused on children's rights and duties, the dangers of child labour, early marriage of young girls, and the importance of inclusive and appropriate education for all. The population listened attentively to these powerful messages.
"Commemorating these important days which focus on children together with all the other organisations has enabled us to take our coordination further," said Lohoues Maxime, Head of the ICI regional office in Daloa. “We will continue to work to ensure that this coordination becomes stronger and stronger, and that our actions reach as many communities in our region as possible," he continued.
For the first time in the Haut Sassandra region, actors dealing with the issue of child labour came together to commemorate the two days. Gnouhou Hyacinthe, Regional Coordinator of SOSTECI, commented,
"Working together for the well-being of children is a source of satisfaction for us, and we are delighted with this achievement.”
The theme of the World Day Against Child Labour is "Let's live up to our commitments: End child labour". It's a resounding call to action for organisations working to protect children, who all believe that no single actor can solve the complex problem of child labour.
“We were delighted to see the Landscape and Referral project commence, which helps coordinate our actions in the field. Today, we understand that it is very important to work together," announced Bahi Guy Martial, Country Director of the Monaco Red Cross in Côte d'Ivoire.
At the heart of these commemorative activities, the children of Gonaté expressed themselves through sketches and parades, carrying placards with strong messages about their rights.
The representative of the Gonaté Sub-Prefect, Ouldao Michel, welcomed this kind of initiative in the locality, and called for a stepping-up of large-scale actions to better protect children.
The World Day Against Child Labour was established in June 2002 by the International Labour Organization (ILO). Its aim is to mobilise governments, employers and civil society as a whole to draw attention to the extent of the problem, and to lead to concrete actions to tackle it.
The Day of the African Child has been commemorated every year since June 16, 1991, in memory of the massacre of hundreds of children during a march for their rights in 1976 in Soweto, South Africa, by the apartheid regime. It is an opportunity for governments to recall the importance of supporting all children, and mobilising to defend respect for the rights and dignity of each and every one of them.