Child labor and placing responsibility for the future of the planet on children

Protect children, protect forests and rivers. The conservation of the Amazon goes hand in hand with the fight against child labor

The tripod that guides sustainability is intrinsically linked to social, environmental, and economic aspects. When analyzing the social sphere in Brazil, it is immediate to think about the people, adults and children, who live in Brazil and how socio-environmental projects, in addition to acting sustainably, are also prioritizing the fight against problems related to children and youth.

Recently, data were released by the National Forum for the Prevention and Eradication of Child Labor (FNPETI), which showed how child labor, still so alarming in our country, has increased in the last six years, revealing that the northern region predominates in this sad statistic.

According to the 2022 Continuous National Household Sample Survey (PnadC) on child labor, there was a 21% increase in the number of cases of children aged 5 to 9 years who were victims of this crime between 2016 and 2022. These data were presented this month, on June 12th, World Day Against Child Labor.

Leading in the northern region is the state of Pará, which has the highest concentration, with 191,000 children and adolescents aged 5 to 17 in this situation. Furthermore, according to the survey, child labor cases are three times more prevalent in rural areas. The 2022 PnadC survey reveals that, across the country, the main areas where this practice occurs are linked to domestic work and activities related to cattle raising.

Alarming data like this highlight the importance of urgent actions to combat the social slavery we are allowing our children to endure. You might question, "But what is the connection between acting sustainably and combating child labor?" My answer is: everything!

We who defend the Standing Amazon work to ensure that more and more actions are aimed at sustainable development, which involves community empowerment, improvements in education, health, infrastructure, prosperity, and everything necessary for social and economic dignity, while conserving the Amazon.

We all hear phrases like, "children are the future" or "what kind of planet do we want to leave for our children?" We always want the best and most prepared future for our little ones, but what are we actually doing to combat problems like child labor? According to the research mentioned above, our children are still being enslaved.

When a child or adolescent is performing activities that should only be done in adulthood, they are skipping several stages of their life. They lose their childhood and accelerate emotional development, which is full of vulnerabilities because they have had to take on responsibilities prematurely. It is important to emphasize that a child who is a victim of child labor comes from a family that also suffers from another problem: the lack of effective public policies to combat inequality. Everything is interconnected.

Throughout my work in the Amazon, especially over the last 15 years with the Sustainable Amazon Foundation, we have sought to support the education of traditional and indigenous communities, in partnership with local leaders and public schools. In this context, in addition to prioritizing environmental protection, we reinforce the importance of the social development of our youth so they can become empowered adults capable of building a dignified and prosperous future.

Among the main areas of work is the integral development of children and adolescents in the Amazon riverside communities. Through a project carried out by FAS on this theme, we recorded an 87% drop in school dropout rates and an 84% reduction in the rate of undocumented youth between 2019 and 2022 in nine municipalities in the state of Amazonas. These results contribute to the quality of life and dignity of our Amazonian youth, especially those living in remote areas, offering opportunities in citizenship and learning.

Education is a powerful weapon to change our planet, but without food on the table, work, and dignity for our citizens, we will continue swimming against a violent current without a life jacket. The work begins within the family nucleus, especially in the most vulnerable areas of urban and rural centers. Without this, we will have adults incapable of understanding the importance of their place in the world and its conservation.

I return to the phrase mentioned above but from another perspective: our children are the future of the planet, but how long will we continue to enslave them?

Article written by the superintendent of sustainable development of communities at Foundation for Amazon Sustainability, Valcléia Solidade. Originally published in (((o))) eco, on June 28, 2023.