“While some interpret child labour as the cause of parental poverty, it is illegal for some parents to employ underaged children to earn money. The Minister of Labour further stated that the United Nations has declared 2021 as the Year for the Elimination of Child Labour. The Minister said that the time has come to change the Child and Labour Laws and Orders to prevent the use of child labour as well as child trafficking and to review the dangerous occupational regulations, especially under the Women, Youth and Child Employment Act. De Silva said that child labour in the country is at a very low level at present. The Minister also pointed out that although child labour levels are not even one percent of the population of Sri Lanka, there are still many NGOs that talk about child labor.

Source: The Nation July 02, 2021 09:00 UTC