C20 panel discusion: “Let Our Voices Be Heard: Working Children’s Perspective on Local and Global Matters”
The Civil 20 (C20) became an Official Engagement Group of the G20 in 2013 . Since then, the C20 aimts to ensure that world leaders listen not only to voices representing the government and business sectors, but also to the proposals and demands of civil society, with the aim of protecting the environment and promoting social and economic development, human rights and the principle of leaving no one behind. The work is guided by principles of inclusivity, transparency, independence, collaboration, human rights, gender equality and women empowerment.
Time to Talk! messages to the civil scieties and governments:
MESSAGES TO THE GOVERNMENT
- Enact laws specific to the needs of working and vulnerable children.
- Create a formal path for all working children to access education.
- Recognize the right to work and just pay for working children.
- Ensure families of working children are cushioned during pandemics.
- Government can monitor the working environment where children with disabilities are working.
- The policy and law in favor of children with disabilities should implement properly.
MESSAGES TO THE CIVIL SOCIETY
- Invest in programmes that empower working children with skills.
- Invest in campaigns for giving working children a voice.
- Create forums for working children to demonstrate their capabilities.
- Include working children as a key agenda of development in SDGs and lobby government to invest funds.
- Design, implement and promote back to school and health programmes for working children.
- The CSO who is working with the government for the other children can work for the rights of working children with disabilities.
- NGO can work with Local Government representatives regarding the rights of working children with disabilities.