World Day Against Child Labor and Japan’s Role

June 12th is World Day Against Child Labor. It was created by the United Nations International Labor Organization (ILO). It is a global reminder that millions of children are still pushed into dangerous or exploitative work. While the issue is severe in many parts of the world, Japan’s situation is quite different, where child labor is rare, but not zero.

Japan still faces related, modern forms of vulnerability including children involved in entertainment or online content creation without proper safeguards. But worldwide, the situation is much grimmer in developing regions across Africa and Asia. It is estimated that the number of children engaged in work that harms their health, safety or development is in the millions. Some figures even suggest that one in four children in developing countries are involved in labor that threatens their future.

Japan is an active supporter of global anti-child labor efforts. The Japanese Government funds ILO programs aimed at eliminating child labor in Asia. There are some Japanese non-government organizations, such as ACE, that run projects in India, Ghana and Southeast Asia. Some schools and universities hold awareness talks or events around this date to raise awareness.