Background/ Introduction
There are 1.1 million (15.3%) working children in Nepal, according to the latest official ILO figures (2021). 18% of children between the ages of 5 and 13 are involved in child labour, compared to 10% in the 14-17 age group. child labor is a nationwide problem; in Nepal, Bagmati and Lumbini provinces are particularly affected. The Corona pandemic has drastically exacerbated the problem. child labor is deeply rooted in society. There is little concern there about the harmful effects of child labor on young people’s schooling and future performance. In some ethnic groups, children are considered an integral part of the family labour force. However, reducing child labor is a major concern of the Nepalese government. The government has adopted a 10-year master plan (2018-2028) and is implementing it in the Nepalese Constitution, UN CRC and other conventions. Yet, child labour is an accepted, socially acknowledged and ‘overlooked’ problem in Nepal. This is not only due to poverty, low levels of education, access to education, livelihood opportunities for parents and access to other resources.
In order to improve the lives of working children and adolescents, to prevent severe exploitation and vulnerability of children and to design sustainable solutions to reduce child labour in the long term, this project supports the active participation of working children and adolescents in local and national political processes and at different levels of society. Therefore, the project “Listening to the Experts” was designed and initiated and focuses on the national contexts of Nepal. The declaration of 2021 as the Year for the Elimination of Child Labour and the upcoming elections in the partner countries offer a particularly suitable window of opportunity to initiate this project to strengthen the participation of working children and young people in political processes.
The project “Listening to the Experts” focuses on the national contexts of Nepal. The declaration of 2021 as the Year for the Elimination of Child Labour and the upcoming elections in the partner countries offer a particularly suitable window of opportunity to initiate this project to strengthen the participation of working children and young people in political processes. The local project executing agencies are familiar with the issue of child labour. It is, in their opinion, one of the most serious violations of children’s rights in their respective countries. Aasaman Nepal and Child Nepal have already held multiple coordination and consultation meetings and have engaged in dialogue on lessons learned and experiences of advocacy in Nepal. Literature has been reviewed and exchanged to inform the development of the project. Aasman Nepal will be lead organization and Child Nepal will be co-applicant organization. The BMZ project No. is P5968 and KNH Project No. is 44011. The project private sponsor is Kindernothilfe e.V. .The project duration is 1st October 2021 to 31st March 2024.
Responsible local to national authorities and other actors, also at international level, begin to put the right to participation (UN CRC Article 12) of working children into practice.
750 working children are interviewed by 56 local NGOs about their experiences as working children and their recommendations for improving/changing the situation.
Activity 1.1: (Capacity Building Manual) Toolkit development/adaptation for the participation of working children.
Activity 1.2: Capacity building for NGOs on participation of working children
Activity 1.3: Survey of 750 working children (350 in Nepal / 400 in Pakistan) as part of child-friendly consultations.
Ten relevant decision-makers at local to national level are aware of the right of working children to participate in the formulation of the HNCLL or other instruments.
Activity 2.1: Developing an advocacy strategy & mapping the decision makers
Activity 2.2: Advocacy meetings with stakeholders (NGOs, employers’ associations, municipalities, families, schools, etc.)
Activity 2.3: Lobby meetings with political stakeholders (at local to state level)
Activity 2.4: Advocacy activities in the media (TV slots/talk shows, journalists, radio, newspapers, etc.)
Leading NGOs advocate for the inclusion of the recommendations of working children and young people in policies on child labour.
Activity 3.1: Publications (online/print, reports, position papers, information and communication materials, etc.) on the results of the consultation workshops
Activity 3.2: Network meetings with like-minded NGOs to network, share and plan joint advocacy initiatives.
| SN | Report Title | Document |
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| 1 | Kickoff Workshop |
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| 2 | Network Meeting with NGOs |
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| 3 | Advocacy Meeting with Budanilkantha Municipality |
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| 4 | First Quarterly Report (Oct-Dec 2021) |
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