Show a Red Card to Child Labour: Joining Forces Nepal Urges for Accelerated Action on Eliminating Child Labour in Nepal
Show a Red Card to Child Labour: Joining Forces Nepal Urges for Accelerated Action on Eliminating Child Labour in Nepal
On the occasion of the World Day Against Child Labour (WDACL) 2026, Joining Forces Nepal, a global alliance of six international non-governmental organizations, reaffirms its strong commitment to collaborate with the Government of Nepal and all stakeholders to eliminate child labour in Nepal. We stand united to amplify the voices of children and to build a society that protects, nurtures, and empowers every child, ensuring hope and dignity for their future. The World Day Against Child Labour is observed annually on 12 June. The 2026 World Day comes at a decisive moment, following the Sixth Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour in Marrakech, which reaffirmed the need to accelerate progress and turn commitments into concrete results. This WDACL is marked under the theme “Red card to child labour: Fair play for children, decent work for adults”.
The Constitution of Nepal, 2072, under Article 39(4), guarantees that "No child shall be employed in factories, mines, or similar hazardous work. The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 2056 (2000) prohibits the engagement of children below 14 years of age in any occupation and restricts adolescents from working in hazardous occupations. The Act Relating to Children, 2075 (2018) further strengthens the protection of children from economic exploitation and from any work that is hazardous, interferes with their education, or is harmful to their health, development, or dignity. These legal provisions are reflected in the National Master Plan on the Elimination of Child Labour (2018–2028), which provides strategic direction for the formulation of laws and policies, institutional arrangements, capacity building, regular monitoring, rescue and rehabilitation, need-based support for families affected by or at risk of child labour, and strengthened collaboration, cooperation, and partnerships to eliminate child labour. The Master Plan also calls for collaboration and partnership amongst stakeholders to eliminate all forms of child labour.
Child labour remains a serious concern in Nepal. Among seven million children (total children) between the ages of 5 and 17 in Nepal, 1.1 million children (15.3%) were found to be engaged in child labour, and more than 220,000 are in hazardous work conditions. Child labour prevalence is highest in Karnali (24.6%), followed by Sudurpashchim (20.9%), Koshi (17.6%), Gandaki (16.1%), Lumbini (15.8%), and Madesh (11.5%); and the lowest in Bagmati (8.9%). The child labour prevalence is higher in rural areas (20.4%) than that of urban areas (12.1%). Among the total children engaged in child labour, about 87% are engaged in the agriculture sector, while 13% are in other sectors, including brick kilns, domestic labour, carpet & garment industry, adult entertainment, transportation, etc. Similarly, among child labourers, girls' proportion is higher than boys', and the majority are from Dalit (19.4%) and indigenous communities (18.1%). There is a higher prevalence of children from urban areas (3.3%) compared to rural areas (2.9%) in the hazardous sector (Nepal Child Labour Report 2021). The ‘Changing State of and Prevalence of Child Labour in Carpet and Garment Industries in Nepal: Findings from Nationwide Survey 2021, from World Vision International Nepal, mentioned 6.66% of children engaged in child labour in the carpet industry and 1.63% in the garment industry out of the total labour working in the carpet and garment industries in Nepal.
On this important day, Joining Forces Nepal calls upon the Government of Nepal, UN agencies, employers’ and workers’ organizations, civil society, and international partners to renew and strengthen their commitment to ending child labour. Despite existing legal and policy frameworks, challenges remain in law enforcement, child protection services, monitoring mechanisms, and social protection systems.
We therefore urge for:
- Amend and effectively implement laws and policies related to children and child labour
- Increase investment in child protection systems, monitoring, rescue and rehabilitation services
- Expand social protection and livelihood opportunities for families to address root causes
- Ensure access to quality education for all children
- Promote multistakeholder collaboration and meaningful participation of children, communities, and civil society in preventative efforts towards eliminating all forms of child labour.
On behalf of Joining Forces Nepal
(Save the Children, World Vision International NEPAL, Plan International, ChildFund, SOS Children’s Villages, Terre des Hommes)