The approval of the ILO Convention 182 on the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labor by 187 International Labour Organization (ILO) member states in 2020 is seen as an international commitment that destructive forms of child labor endanger the physical and mental condition of children and have no place in society.
It was stated that there are still 152 million child workers in the world, 72 million of which are in hard work, even if significant progress has been achieved with a dramatic decrease in child labor since 2000 as a result of substantial steps taken in societies and supported by various actions.
One expectation regarding the negative reflections of the COVID-19, which we have been fighting for more than a year and felt its impact in every field, is on the number of child workers. This situation is seen as a possibility that the success of the downward trend in the number of child workers since 2000 will come to an end. The stagnant production, disrupted supply chains, and increasing economic insecurity caused significant damage to the country's economies. It is anticipated that if these damages cause a decrease in household income, the risk of increasing the financial contribution expected from children may cause children to be forced into more exploitative and more dangerous jobs. It is stated that there is a risk of worsening working conditions for working children. Another predicted significant impact of COVID-19 is increasing gender inequalities within the family. While girls are expected to be given additional agricultural work and household chores, there are predictions that closed schools may exacerbate these situations.
