US Department of Labor announces $10 million competitive solicitation for cooperative agreements to combat child labor in Cambodia

Press Release
Aug. 6, 2012

WASHINGTON, Aug. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs today announced a $10 million competitive solicitation for cooperative agreements to combat child labor in Cambodia's agriculture, fishing and fisheries/aquaculture, and domestic service sectors.

Projects funded under the solicitation will focus on reducing social exclusion and promoting economic opportunities for Cambodian households with children who are vulnerable to child labor. Eligible applicants should address ways to combat child labor by increasing children's access to quality education and vocational/skills training; promoting sustainable livelihoods for affected households; increasing beneficiaries' access to national social protection programs that help households overcome dependence on child labor to meet basic needs; and increasing access to decent jobs for young people of legal working age.

Applicants must respond to the entire scope of work outlined in the solicitation and demonstrate a proven ability to manage complex projects designed to improve the lives of children.

Applications must be submitted by Oct. 2 at 5 p.m. EDT electronically via http://www.grants.gov or as hard copies mailed to the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Procurement Services, 200 Constitution Ave. NW, Room S-4307, Washington, D.C. 20210, Attention: Brenda White and James Kinslow.

The solicitation for grant applications is available online at http://www.dol.gov/ILAB/grants/main.htm and http://www.grants.gov . All cooperative agreement awards will be made by Dec. 31.

Cambodia observes World Day Against Child Labor with photos, music

A boy selling flowers in the street of Phnom Penh (Photo: Mom Sophon, RFA)

Phnom Penh (Cambodia), June 12 (Xinhua): Cambodia on Tuesday observed the 11th World Day Against Child Labor with photo exhibition and children music festival.

Presided over by Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Men Sam On and Information Minister Khieu Kanharith, the photo exhibition attracted about 700 spectators, most of which are found children and teenagers.

Co-organized by Cambodian Ministry of Information, International Labour Organization and China's Xinhua News Agency, the Cambodian children-themed exhibition showcased around 60 photos, which vividly visualized the dramatic changes of local children's life in the past decades.

Some of the pictures also reflected Cambodian senior leaders' caring to the children, from the monarchy to the country's high- ranking ministers.

ជយោ អភីវាត់ សម័យ ហ៊ុនសែន! ១៣ឆ្នាំ ធ្វើការហុយ ផ្សែង! ល្អមើលដែរ អាណាចក្រកញ្ចាញ់ចេក (Banana Kingdom)

ប៊ូ កាំ​ង ជា​ក្មេងប្រុស មានអាយុ១៣ឆ្នាំ ដែល​បាន​ប្រកបរ​បរជា​អ្នក​អូស​រទេះដឹក​ឥអីវ៉ាន់ នៅ​ផ្សារ​ដើម​គ ក្នុង​រាជធានី​ភ្នំពេញ​

ក្មេងប្រុស​អាយុ ១៣ ឆ្នាំ ប្រកប​រប​ជា​អ្នក​អូស​រទេះ​

ថ្ងៃទី 7 ឧសភា 2012
ដោយ: កើត ចន្ទ្រា និស្សិត DMC
Cambodia Express News

“​មិនដឹង​ជា​ធ្វើ​យ៉ាងម៉េច បើ​យើង​អត់​ចេះអក្សរ មានតែ​ជីវិត​អូស​រទេះ​ហ្នឹង​”

​ភ្នំពេញ: ស្ថិតក្នុង​ហ្វូងមនុស្ស​ដ៏​ច្រើន​កកកុញ​ក្នុង​ផ្សារ​មួយ កុមារា​ម្នាក់​មាន​មាឌ​ល្អិត មិន​សម​នឹង​អាយុ ១៣​ឆ្នាំ ក្នុង​សម្លៀកបំពាក់​អាវយឺត​ព​ណ៌​ខៀវ ខោខ្លី​ពណ៌​ខ្មៅ ដែល​ប្រឡាក់​ប្រឡូសដោយ​ធូលី​ដី និង​កម្ទេចកម្ទីបន្លែ កំពុង​ប្រញាប់ប្រញាល់ដើរ​ដោយ​ជើង​ទទេ ចូលក្នុង​ផ្សារ ដែល​ដៃ​ម្ខាង​កាន់​ផ្លែ​ត្រប់​មួយ ឯ​ដៃ​ម្ខាង​ទៀត​រុញ​រទេះ​គ្មាន​អីវ៉ាន់​។​

​ក្រោយពី​សម្រាក​អាហារ​ថ្ងៃត្រង់ ក្នុង​ទឹកមុខ​ញញឹមញញែម ក្មេងប្រុស​មា្ន​ក់​នេះ និយាយថា “ថ្មើរនេះ ខ្ញុំ​អត់​មាន​អីវ៉ាន់​អូស​ទេ​”​។

​ប៊ូ កាំ​ង ជា​ក្មេងប្រុសដែល​បាន​ប្រកបរ​បរជា​អ្នក​អូស​រទេះដឹក​អី​វ៉ាន់នៅ​ផ្សារ​ដើម​គ ក្នុង​រាជធានី​ភ្នំពេញ​។ ក្មេងប្រុស​ម្នាក់នេះជា​កូនប្រុស​ទី​៣ ក្នុងចំណោម​កូន ៧ នាក់ របស់​គ្រួសារ​មួយ ដែលមាន​ឪពុក​ឈ្មោះ ប៊ូ កាន អាយុ ៣៩​ឆ្នាំ ប្រកបរ​បរអូស​អី​វ៉ាន់ និង​ម្តាយ​ឈ្មោះ ផន អូន អាយុ ៤០​ឆ្នាំ ជា​អ្នក​អនាម័យ នៅ​វិទ្យាល័យ​ជាស៊ីម​សាមគ្គី​។​

Caution: Children at work

Chan Ny, a 13-year-old seller of books, bracelets and kramas, sits with her basket of merchandise outside a restaurant on Sisowath Quay in Phnom Penh yesterday. (Photo by: Hong Menea)

Sao Beout, 10, extracts scrap metal from a printer near the old Stung Meanchey dump site in Phnom Penh. (Photo by: Sovan Philon)

Wednesday, 02 November 2011
Bridget Di Certo and Chhay Channyda
The Phnom Penh Post

Labour legislation in Cambodia is so weak and so often ignored that half the Kingdom’s children between the ages of seven and 14 participate in the workforce, the world’s largest federation of unions has told the World Trade Organisation General Council in Geneva.

Children, women and ethnic and indigenous minorities suffer the most under the Kingdom’s “corrupt” enforcement of labour law, according to the International Trade Union Confederat-ion, which has 150 million members.

Yesterday it presented its report detailing how Cambodia falls short of international labour standards, along with a list of recommendations to the WTO, which is conducting a trade policy review of Cambodia concluding tomorrow.

“Poor compliance with international labour standards, especially with regard to trade-union rights, child labour and forced labour” form the key criticisms of the Kingdom’s employment environment.

Child labor in Cambodia: Another success of the Hun Xen regime?

(All photos: Radio Free Asia)

Child labour in Cambodia

14 May 2010

Richard Welford
Corporate Social Responsibility in Asia

Hundreds of thousands of Cambodian children rely on the most dangerous forms of child labour to support themselves, yet the daunting goal of ending domestic child labour by 2016 may be within reach, according to a new plan to eliminate the worst forms of child labour. The document underlines the challenges Cambodia faces in stopping an estimated 300,000 children from working in occupations seen as among the most hazardous. But it also suggests Cambodia has made some initial strides. A global ILO report released this week urges countries and NGOs to refocus efforts to reduce child labour. By releasing its road map this week, Cambodia has already taken an initial step, says this report. Nevertheless, the ILO report warns that although child labour has continued to decline worldwide, the pace of this reduction has slowed. Roughly 215 million children remain trapped as child labourers, including 115 million in hazardous occupations.

Cambodia Seeks End to Child Labor

By Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Washington
20 January 2010

Poor families in poor health, the loss of land and the legacy of war are all contributing to a child labor problem in Cambodia, the country’s national International Labor Organization coordinator said Monday.

“The latest studies we have show that in many countries, if there exists child labor, that country is in heavy poverty,” said the coordinator, Chhorvirith Theng, as a guest on “Hello VOA.” “In a country where educational development exists, that country has no child labor. So on both these tendencies, the government of Cambodia is paying attention. For instance, we take education as a core sector.”

The government and private sector are working to jointly eliminate child labor in Cambodia by 2015, Chhorvirith Theng said, through plans to educate people at the grassroots level, as well as vocational and skills training and microfinance.

A national survey in 2001 found 1.5 million children aged 5 to 17 who were economically active in Cambodia. Around 250,000 were working in risky occupations.

Child labor is not only a problem in Cambodia, but around the world, Chhorvirith Theng said. The ILO estimates as many as 250 million children involved in labor, with the majority involved in dangerous jobs that can be damaging physically, mentally and spiritually.

Child labor: The US black list

Child labor in Cambodia: Children used in brick kilns

11 September 2009
Cambodge Soir Hebdo
Translated from French by Tola Ek
Click here to read the article in French

The international office of the US Labor Department issued a list of products, including their country of origin, that are produced through forced labor or child labor.

The black list contains 122 products originating from 58 countries. The goal of the publication is to sensitize the public to the problems faced by those who are subjected to forced labor, both adults and children, in order to influence the public consumption behavior.

This black list points out Cambodia for 4 products: salt, brick products, shrimp farming and fishing and rubber. The US and Cambodia collaborate with each other intensively for several years now in order to reduce child labor. As always, progress on this issue is slow while displaying some encouraging sign. The main goal is to lower the number of working children, aged 5 to 17-year, to 8% by 2015.

Cambodia: 40% of children between 7-17 involved in child labor

Keeping children in school and out of work: putting a stop to child labour in Cambodia

11 Jun 2009
Source: ChildFund Australia
Website: http://www.childfund.org.au

In Cambodia, 40% of all children aged between 7-17 years are engaged in some form of child labour - work that is defined as undesirable for children or potentially injurious to their wellbeing.

While Cambodia has enjoyed a period of economic growth during the last ten years, poverty remains widespread, and many families must supplement their household income through the earnings of their children. The global financial crisis has exacerbated the problem with even more families forced to rely on earnings from their children.

Over one-third of families are still forced to survive on less than one dollar a day, and most children in Cambodia suffer some level of malnutrition, enough to cause at least moderate stunting of their growth. Improved economic conditions have also created greater inequalities in society - widening the gap between the rich and poor.

ChildFund Australia CEO Nigel Spence says: "For most families, sending a child out to work is not a voluntary choice - parents regret having to remove their children from school, and worry about the dangers they face. But the additional income is often the key to survival for the whole family."

While the majority of Cambodian children living in rural areas perform agricultural tasks on the family farm, or participate in household duties, children involved in child labour face much greater risks. The salt production industry, fishing sector, brick factories and plantation work are environments where children are known to be subject to abuse and exploitation.

ChildFund Cambodia country director Carol Mortensen adds: "The use of children from rural areas as extremely poorly paid domestic servants in provincial towns and cities is common. Some receive no pay at all, but are simply given shelter and food. This form of labour can be very risky due to the vulnerability of such children to various forms of abuse, including violence and sexual exploitation."

Preventing child labour

ChildFund is tackling the incidence of child labour with preventative strategies. The central goal of ChildFund's programs is to encourage school attendance for as long as possible.

Carol explains: "Most Cambodian children really want to attend school, at least to primary school level. And those attending school are, by definition, unavailable for child labour. The longer children remain at school and the higher the level of formal education they reach, the greater their chances of avoiding exploitative labour and finding decent employment in their adult life."

In Svay Rieng, ChildFund Cambodia is addressing the child labour problem through its Voices of our Children project. This increases attendance at school by improving the quality and accessibility of schools, ensuring schools are safe places to learn, improving play and recreation facilities and increasing the relevance of curriculum and learning through teacher training.

ChildFund also recognises that young people not in school are particularly vulnerable to exploitative forms of child labour. ChildFund's Youth for Development programs are teaching practical lifeskills, providing small business training and assistance in establishing livelihoods such as fish farming, improved rice growing, animal husbandry and ceramic pot making.

Girls and boys participating in the project learn about money management and business planning, take out micro loans and establish small businesses which will assist their families and build their own confidence and skills as decision-makers.

Hundreds of Cambodian children march to end child labour

June 12, 2008
AFP

PHNOM PENH - CAMBODIAN school children took to the streets on Thursday to mark World Against Child Labour Day, calling for parents to send their kids to school rather than forcing them to work.

About 500 children marched through the capital carrying placards and banners with slogans such as: 'Work is not necessary for children, but schooling is,' and 'Child labour is unjust for children.' The demonstration was organised by the International Labour Organisation with the Cambodian government.

One of the marchers, 15-year-old student Roeun Ra, said his parents used to make him work by scavenging through garbage.

'Many of my friends cannot go to school because their parents ask them to work for money,' the boy said.

The World Bank said that last year some 1.5 million Cambodians under the age of 14 were forced to work, often in hazardous conditions.

Mr Chey Chab, undersecretary of state at the ministry of education, told marchers the government was working to prevent the children from being exploited.

'Children are like bamboo shoots and are the (future) strong force for the country,' he said in a speech, calling on all people to 'take care, protect, and think of the interest of children.' Following years of civil unrest and government mismanagement, Cambodia remains mired in poverty, with more than 30 per cent of its 14 million people living on less than 50 US cents per day.