The International Labor Organization (ILO) is cooperating with Egypt to fight all reasons leading to child labor, foremost among which the low income of families.

The ILO is working with Egypt to improve income of families that force their children to work to help them, ILO skills development expert Christine Hofmann told MENA.

She called for promoting societal awareness of the dangerous effects of child labor, saying most families are unaware that preventing their children from going to school and forcing them to work at this early age blocks their physical growth and makes them gain undesired ethics.

There are also efforts being exerted at the business community level as business owners should be aware that employing underage workers would not serve their business or project and that their clients would not trust them as long as they endanger the lives of children, the ILO official said.

In this respect, the ILO launched a guideline for business owners to help them see the negative effects of child labor.

As for children aged between 15 to 18 years old, the organization is working to provide them with respectable, non-hazardous work contracts under the supervision of the Manpower Ministry that ensures their safety. 

Source : MENA