AMERICA/PARAGUAY - Fighting poverty to eliminate child labour

Asuncion (Agenzia Fides) – On the occasion of the recent annual recurrence of World Day Against Child Labour, Paraguay, like many other Latin American countries, tackled various issues connected with the elimination of Child Labour, as suggested by the International Labour Organisation. According to information issued by Paraguay's National Commission for the Prevention and Eradication of Child Labour and the Protection of Adolescent Labour (CONAETI), at least 280.000 minors in this country are involved in some sort of illegal labour not suited to their age.
A report sent to Fides said one radical cause of child labour is dire poverty which afflicts thousands of families all over the world. Living condition are such that poor families have rely on the meagre pay which the work of children and adolescents adds to the family income. "We know that the higher the percentage of child workers, the higher the percentage of absence at school and the lower the all-round development of our children " says CONAETI. “To significantly reduce child labour - the Commission affirmed - we must intensify our struggle to eliminate poverty. The country needs specific programmes to assist families, dignified jobs for adults and guaranteed quality schooling for children and young people until they are old enough to join the labour force.” (CE) (Agenzia Fides, 15/06/2010)