The Egyptian Ministry of Social Solidarity recently participated in the closing event of the "Eitel" project, which aims to combat worst forms of child labor in small industries and street children. The project is implemented by the International Labor Organization (ILO) in cooperation with the Egyptian government and national partners, with support from the Italian government. The event was attended by Labor Minister Hassan Raddad, Head of the Central Administration for Family and Women's Affairs at the Ministry of Social Solidarity, Hanan Mustafa, and ILO Cairo Office Director, Eric Oschlan.
The event included a review of the project's achievements, which reached over 4,400 children and 2,200 families. The project implemented interventions for economic empowerment and skill development of service providers, enhancing the ability of the protection system to respond to the needs of children and their families. Minister Raddad and attendees toured an exhibition of artwork by children and products made by their families, who benefited from economic empowerment programs at child labor combating centers affiliated with the Ministry of Social Solidarity.
Hanan Mustafa emphasized that combating child labor is a comprehensive societal responsibility that begins with supporting families, addressing poverty and economic vulnerability, ensuring children's education, providing protection and care services, and raising awareness within society. She added that the Egyptian government has adopted a national approach to combat child labor, focusing on addressing root causes and promoting social protection. The partnership between the Ministry of Social Solidarity and the ILO aims to support Egypt's efforts to enhance its social protection system and combat child labor.
The cooperation between the Ministry of Social Solidarity and the ILO focuses on strategic and field-level interventions, including implementing the National Plan to Combat Worst Forms of Child Labor and supporting families. The plan, which ran from 2018-2025, was developed through collaboration between national ministries and institutions, and work is underway on the second generation of the plan for 2026-2030. The Ministry of Social Solidarity plays a pivotal role in addressing child labor through a comprehensive system that combines social protection, care, economic empowerment, education, and awareness-raising.
The Ministry of Social Solidarity operates 12 child labor combating centers in 10 governorates, providing social, psychological, educational, and rehabilitative services to children and their families. The centers help reintegrate children who have dropped out of education into the education system, in addition to offering extracurricular activities. The Ministry also works within local communities through social workers, home visits, and direct family awareness-raising, as well as through the "Ana Mowahob" program, which aims to discover and develop the talents of children in four governorates.
Eric Oschlan, ILO Cairo Office Director, emphasized that eliminating child labor requires more than just removing children from the workforce; it requires addressing the circumstances that may lead families to rely on their children's work. He stressed the importance of ensuring children remain in education, enhancing protection and referral systems, supporting vulnerable families, and creating decent and productive job opportunities for adults. Oschlan added that the transition to the second generation of the National Plan to Combat Child Labor presents an opportunity to build on lessons learned from the "Eitel" project.
The event highlighted the importance of continued cooperation between the Ministry of Social Solidarity, the Ministry of Labor, the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood, and the ILO to ensure that children and their families are connected to available social protection and economic empowerment services. Key stakeholders emphasized their commitment to enhancing follow-up and referral mechanisms at the local level and providing safe pathways for developing children's skills and capacities.
Key points
- The Egyptian Ministry of Social Solidarity and the ILO have partnered to combat child labor through the "Eitel" project, which has reached over 4,400 children and 2,200 families.
- The National Plan to Combat Worst Forms of Child Labor aims to address root causes of child labor and promote social protection.
- The Ministry of Social Solidarity plays a crucial role in addressing child labor through a comprehensive system that combines social protection, care, economic empowerment, education, and awareness-raising.
