World Day Against Child Labour 2025: Accelerating
Action to End Exploitation

The reality of child labour in 2025 is detailed in this article. But let’s start with an example:

Survivor Story – A Child’s Ordeal:

Moni was only a young teenager when she was drugged and abducted from her village in Bangladesh. She was trafficked across the border and sold into exploitation, losing her freedom and childhood in an instant. After a harrowing ordeal, Moni was finally rescued and reunited with her mother.  Her story is one of survival and hope, but for millions of other children, such exploitation remains a daily reality.

What Is Child Labour?

Child labour refers to work that children perform under the legal minimum working age or in conditions that harm their health, safety, or morals. According to the United Nations and the International Labour Organisation (ILO), it includes tasks that rob children of their potential, dignity, and education. Not all work is considered child labour, age-appropriate chores or part-time jobs that don’t interfere with schooling can be beneficial.

However, children having to work is harmful as it often involves long hours, hazardous environments, exploitation, and the complete denial of education. In severe cases, children may be trafficked, enslaved, or forced into sexual exploitation. The ILO’s Convention No. 182 classifies the worst forms of child labour as slavery, forced recruitment for armed groups, commercial sexual exploitation, drug trafficking, and any hazardous work performed by anyone under 18.

 

Why Does it Happen?

Child labour is driven by deep social and economic issues, with poverty as the main cause. Families in hardship may depend on a child’s income to survive, especially when adults can’t find decent work. Limited access to education often means children work instead of going to school. Other factors include weak laws, cultural acceptance of child work, and crises like conflict or disasters. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic pushed many families into greater poverty, causing a rise in child labour. Orphaned or displaced children are vulnerable to traffickers and exploitation. Overall, instability in communities increases the risk of child labour.

Impacts of it on Children

Child labour causes lasting harm to children’s health, development, and future. Many work in dangerous settings like mines, farms, or factories, where they’re exposed to toxic chemicals, unsafe tools, and harsh conditions. This often leads to injuries, illness, or even death, with some children suffering permanent disabilities.

The damage isn’t just physical. Child labour also causes emotional trauma. Children may face abuse, stress, and the burden of adult responsibilities far too early, leading to long-term mental health issues.

Education is usually the first casualty. Many child labourers miss out on school entirely or drop out early, losing the chance to learn basic skills and break free from poverty. Without education, their future opportunities are severely limited.

Ultimately, child labour strips children of their rights, childhood, and potential. It keeps families trapped in poverty and has devastating consequences for health, safety, and well-being, none of which any child should endure.

 

The Global Scale of Child Labour

Despite years of campaigns, child labour remains a major global issue. As of 2020, around 160 million children, nearly 1 in 10 worldwide, are involved in child labour, with almost half (79 million) doing hazardous work that risks their health. While this is a drop of about one-third since 2000, progress has slowed recently, partly due to economic shocks and the pandemic.

Child labour is most common in Africa, home to over half of all child labourers, about 87 million children—where roughly 1 in 4 kids in sub-Saharan Africa work. Asia-Pacific follows with around 49 million child labourers. Sub-Saharan Africa has even seen increases due to population growth, while Asia-Pacific has steadily declined. Latin America and the Caribbean have fewer cases but still millions of children working, mainly in agriculture and informal jobs.

Even Europe and North America are not completely free from child labour. In the EU, thousands of migrant children have gone missing, many likely exploited for labour or sex. The global presence of child labour in various forms shows it’s a universal human rights challenge that demands ongoing attention.

Industries involving child labour:

Most child labour occurs in agriculture, with around 71% of child labourers working on farms, plantations, or with livestock. These roles often involve long hours, harmful chemicals, and dangerous tools. Others work in services like retail or tourism, or in industries such as mining and manufacturing. Despite common beliefs, factory sweatshops involve fewer children than rural farm work.

Mining and Quarrying: Children as young as five work in dangerous mines for minerals like mica, cobalt, and gold in countries such as India, Madagascar, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, often for just cents a day.

Brick Kilns: In parts of South Asia and Africa, children and whole families work in harsh conditions making bricks, carrying heavy loads in extreme heat, often trapped in bonded labour due to weak enforcement.

Plantations, Coffee and Cocoa: Millions of children work on cocoa farms in West Africa and coffee plantations in countries like Ethiopia and Honduras, using machetes and handling chemicals instead of attending school.

Textiles and Fashion: Child labour is common in cotton picking and garment factories in places like India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, supplying global fashion brands that demand cheap, fast production.

Many everyday Australian products, such as coffee, chocolate, clothing, smartphones, and jewellery, are linked to child labour. This means child exploitation is not distant but connected to the items we buy every day through global supply chains.

Australia’s Complicity Overseas

Australia has strong labour laws at home, but it’s still linked to the global child labour issue through trade and consumption. Many goods imported into Australia come from countries with high child labour rates, especially in the Asia-Pacific region, which supplies over half of Australia’s imports. This means Australian consumers and businesses may unknowingly support child labour from the cocoa in chocolate to the cotton in clothing.

The Australia Institute reports that child labour is a significant human rights risk in global supply chains linked to Australian companies and investors. source: australiainstitute.org.au. Simply put, what we buy in Australia can directly impact children’s lives overseas. When retailers here source products from factories or farms that exploit children, we become complicit in that exploitation unless we take action to change those practices.

Australians Involved in Child Labour

Australians have been linked to child exploitation overseas, particularly through trafficking and online abuse. Some offenders travel to or target children in Southeast Asia for sexual exploitation. Authorities have uncovered cases involving child sex tourism and live-streamed abuse. The Asia-Pacific, especially the Greater Mekong region, remains a hotspot for child trafficking for both labour and sexual exploitation.

Tellingly, it’s estimated that nearly one-third of the $150 billion in global trafficking profits are generated in wealthy, industrialised countries like Australia. source: worldvision.com.au. This includes money spent on goods produced with forced or child labour, as well as profits from the sex trade.

Australians, like other wealthy nations, can unknowingly support child exploitation, through buying cheap imports or engaging in online abuse. While the harm may occur offshore, our role is real and must be acknowledged.

Australia has made progress with laws targeting child sexual exploitation abroad, the Modern Slavery Act (2018), and the ratification of ILO Convention 138.

 

Youth Labour and Young Workers in Australia

In Australia, child labour isn’t widespread in the traditional sense. Education is compulsory, and most young workers are teenagers in part-time or after-school jobs. These roles, common in cafes, fast-food outlets, and family businesses, can help build skills and confidence.

However, while such work is usually legal and regulated, research shows young workers still face risks. Without proper protections, they may experience injuries, harassment, or exploitation. Even here, safeguards are essential to ensure work remains safe and age-appropriate.

A 2024 report by Queensland University of Technology highlighted that children under 18 in Australia experience disproportionately high rates of workplace accidents and abuses compared to adults. source: qut.edu.au. For example, teens in restaurants and shops have suffered injuries from dangerous equipment (knives, hot oil, etc.), and many report being bullied or even sexually harassed on the job. There have been cases of wage theft (not being paid for all hours) and unpredictable hours disrupting their schooling. In Victoria, franchises in the fast-food industry recently faced hundreds of charges for breaching child employment laws, such as having kids work past legal hours at night or without proper breaks. source: qut.edu.au. This illustrates that child labour laws in Australia, while strict on paper, are sometimes flouted in practice, especially in low-wage industries.

Australia’s Challenge

One challenge in Australia is that youth employment laws vary between states and territories, with inconsistent rules on minimum age and work conditions. There’s also little monitoring or data on children’s work. Many young people work informally on family farms, babysitting, or as social media influencers, which falls outside traditional labour protections. Even activities like elite sports training exist in a legal grey area, lacking clear safeguards.

The QUT study found about 10% of Australian children who work do so out of financial necessity for their family, source: qut.edu.au, signaling that even here, some kids feel economic pressure to earn.

While the worst forms of child labour are thankfully rare in Australia, experts warn against complacency. Gaps in the system leave many working children unprotected. Australia’s recent ratification of ILO Convention 138 is a positive step, but stronger, more consistent youth employment laws are needed nationwide. Improving protections and data collection will not only safeguard Australian children but also strengthen our credibility when urging other countries to end hazardous child labour.

Child Marriage: A Gateway to Exploitation in Australia

Forced child marriage remains a serious but often hidden form of child exploitation in Australia. Although marrying under 18 is generally illegal, cases continue to emerge where girls as young as 13 or 14 are forced into marriage, often due to family or cultural pressure. Some of these marriages are arranged overseas, effectively placing girls into situations of domestic servitude.

Once married, these girls are usually expected to leave school and take on adult responsibilities like cooking, cleaning, and childbearing, while living under the control of older husbands and their families. Many face isolation, unpaid labour, and physical or sexual abuse, with little freedom to refuse or escape.

Australian law recognises forced marriage as a form of modern slavery. Authorities have prosecuted several cases, often after teachers, schools, or community members notice a girl’s sudden disappearance or signs of distress and report it. While the number of known cases is small, each one represents a grave violation of children’s rights and is comparable to child labour due to the unpaid domestic work involved.

Forced child marriage denies girls their right to education, freedom, and a safe childhood. It traps them in a cycle of exploitation and abuse, cutting short their chances to grow, learn, and develop on their own terms.

Preventing forced child marriage relies on raising public awareness and training frontline workers, such as teachers, healthcare providers, and community leaders, who are often the first to spot warning signs and can take action.

Ending child marriage is a critical part of Australia’s wider fight against child exploitation and trafficking. Protecting children from forced marriage helps ensure they can live free from harm and have the opportunity to build a better future. Continued legal action, education, and vigilance remain essential to completely eliminate this harmful practice from Australian communities.

 

Where Is Child Labour Most Common?

How Australians Can Combat It

Child labour is a global problem, but Australians can make a real difference. On World Day Against Child Labour, we’re reminded that every individual and nation has a role to play.

• Shop Ethically
  Choose products certified as child-labour-free or fair trade. Everyday items like chocolate, coffee, and clothing often involve child exploitation. Supporting brands with clear, ethical supply chains sends a strong message. As World Vision Australia says, ethical shopping is a “small but powerful step.”
• Hold Businesses Accountable
  Australian companies and investors must take responsibility for their global supply chains. This means regularly auditing suppliers, ending relationships with exploitative operations, and committing to ethical sourcing. Consumers can pressure companies through feedback and social media, while investors can demand action on child labour risks.
• Support Stronger Laws and Global Action
  Advocate for improvements to Australia’s Modern Slavery Act, such as tougher penalties and wider coverage. Support international efforts like bans on goods made with forced or child labour. With Australia’s recent ratification of ILO Convention 138, citizens should push for real domestic reforms and back aid programs that address poverty and education barriers.
• Raise Awareness
  Talk openly about child labour. Share facts with family, friends, and schools to increase public awareness and pressure for change. Supporting NGOs like UNICEF and World Vision also helps protect vulnerable children directly.
• Report Exploitation
  If you suspect child exploitation locally or overseas, report it to authorities like the Australian Federal Police. Everyone can help by staying vigilant and speaking up.

While child labour has dropped over the last 20 years, progress has slowed. By tackling root causes and demanding accountability, Australians can help ensure all children have the chance to learn, grow, and enjoy childhood free from exploitation.

The Freedom Hub is committed to ending modern slavery and child exploitation
through education, advocacy, and ethical business partnerships.
Visit our website: www.thefreedomhub.org
Survivor School: thefreedomhub.org/survivor-school
Ethical Business Services: thefreedomhub.org/ethical-business
Contact us: [email protected]
Based in Waterloo, Australia

Sources:

• European Parliamentary Research Service – World Day Against Child Labour briefingepthinktank.euepthinktank.euepthinktank.euepthinktank.euepthinktank.eu.

• International Labour Organisation – World Day Against Child Labour 2025: “Progress is clear, but there’s more to do” ilo.orgilo.org.

• World Vision Australia – Child Labour webpageworldvision.com.auworldvision.com.auworldvision.com.au and Child slavery and trafficking page worldvision.com.auworldvision.com.au.

• Queensland University of Technology (Paula McDonald) – “Australia’s child workers are vulnerable to injury, harassment and exploitation” qut.edu.auqut.edu.auqut.edu.auqut.edu.au.

• The Australia Institute – “Child Labour: Everybody’s Business” report australiainstitute.org.auaustraliainstitute.org.auaustraliainstitute.org.auaustraliainstitute.org.au.