Co-hosted by the Ministry of Labour,Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) and the International Labour Organisation,the event was part of a project on providing technical support for enhancingthe national capacity to prevent and reduce child labour in Vietnam.
According to the MoLISA’sDepartment of Child Care and Protection, Ho Chi Minh City is home to thecountry’s largest industrial parks along with thousands of household tailors’. Thecity also attracts a number of foreign-invested enterprises and immigrantworkers, including children, mostly from Dak Nong, Dak Lak, Dong Thap, An Giangand Quang Binh provinces who are at risk of labour and sex abuse.
Deputy head of the Ministryof Public Security’s Department of Criminal Police, Colonel Phan Minh Truongcalled attention to managing household registration and business establishmentsas well as supporting children’s studies and poverty reduction.
Participants stressed theneed to offer direct services to children who are at risk or did join the workforce,especially vocational orientations and training to children aged 14-17, and toimprove livelihoods and sustainable job opportunities for families of children.
Tran Thi Kim Thanh, head ofthe municipal Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs’ Office ofChild Care, Protection and Gender Equality, said the city allocates over 2trillion VND (86.9 million USD) for school infrastructure in 322 wards andcommunes, and scholarships for poor students with outstanding academicperformance each year.
The city is working closelywith the United Nations Entity for Gender Equalityand the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) andthe International Labour Organisation to work out solutions to preventing childlabour.
Head of the Department of Child Care and Protection and GenderEquality Dang Hoa Nam suggested raising public awareness of child labour andalerting the issue to the hotline 111 and local social work centres.
Authorities should alsoenhance their capacity in using State management tools via legal and policyenforcement, he said.
At present, Ho Chi Minh Cityhas the largest population nationwide with over 8 million people. According toa recent national survey on child labour, more than 80,000 children below 17have joined economic activities, 77.5 percent of them aged 15-17.-VNA