Kampala, Uganda: High Sound for Children, a Kampala-based child rights advocacy organisation, has sounded the alarm over the escalating crisis of child labour in Uganda, calling on government and civil society actors to urgently enforce protective laws and scale up interventions to end the exploitation of children.
The call was made on Thursday, June 12, as Uganda joined the rest of the world to commemorate the International Day Against Child Labour. Observed every June 12, this year’s global theme, “Let’s Act on Our Commitments: End Child Labour Now!” urges stakeholders to transform pledges into practical safeguards for children, especially in vulnerable communities.
Speaking to the media in Kampala, High Sound for Children Executive Director, Ms Hadijah Mwanje, described the situation as dire, warning that the widespread nature of child labour, particularly in rural districts, is depriving a generation of children of education, safety, and dignity.
“Child labour is not just a violation of children’s rights; it is a national crisis,” Ms Mwanje said. “We are calling on the government to prioritize the enforcement of laws protecting children and to invest more in social protection, education, and public awareness campaigns to end child labour once and for all.”
According to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), more than 2 million children across the country are engaged in child labour. The most affected sectors include agriculture, domestic work, street vending, and informal manual labour, where many children are exposed to exploitative and hazardous conditions.
To reverse this trend, the organisation outlined a four-point action plan;
1. Enforce existing laws: Government must fully implement the Children (Amendment) Act and the Employment Act to hold perpetrators accountable.
2. Ensure universal education access: Children in rural and conflict-prone areas must benefit from free, inclusive, and quality schooling.
3. Promote community awareness: Cultural attitudes that normalise child labour must be challenged through targeted sensitisation efforts, and,
4. Support vulnerable families: Government and partners should boost social welfare programs and livelihood initiatives to reduce economic dependence on child labour.
High Sound for Children further reminded government of its obligations under key international agreements such as the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and ILO Conventions 138 and 182, which mandate the abolition of child labour in all its forms.
With only months left before the 2025 global deadline to eliminate child labour under Sustainable Development Goal 8.7, the organisation stressed that political commitments must now translate into tangible action.
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