World Day Against Child Labor

June 12 marked the 'World Day Against Child Labor', the day that activists all around the world united in one strong, outspoken voice against this menace of society. Today, we commemorate the efforts of those involved in the fight against child labor, but more than that, we recognize the enormity of this problem and the hundreds of millions of children still desperately hoping for a chance to break free from the shackles of bonded labor.

215 million. That's the number of child laborers in the world today. 1 in 6 children are child laborers, a fact that appears much more staggering when you put 1,000 children into a room - 167 would be child laborers. The statistics are grim, but the pictures are more so - Any child under 18 should not be subjected to such harsh and dangerous conditions.

There's a blurred line on what constitutes child labor. Are kids who work part-time and attend school in the remaining time child laborers? Are home-schooled children, who also help out greatly in the family business, child laborers? Is a 17 year old supermarket cashier a child laborer, if he or she has dropped out from high school? The age, situation, and occupation involved all determine the extent of child labor.

Another problem of child labor is weak law enforcement. Laws are one thing - There are plenty of national and international laws concerning child labor, but no one to enforce them. Often, the police turn a blind eye to the situation, or in some cases, are in leagues with the employer. Its brave organizations like Childline and BBA that work to combat this unfortunate truth with demonstrations, raids, and rescues of this own.

On the World Day Against Child Labor, I urge you all to get involved in the fight. The power of people, working together, is boundless and limitless, and just like slavery, child labor can become history if we will and want it to. As Aesop once said - "United we stand, divided we fall."