Pearnel Charles Jr. Urges Jamaicans to Report Child Labour and Exploitation

KINGSTON, Jamaica :Child  labour and exploitation — Minister of Labour and Social Security, Pearnel Charles Jr., is urging Jamaicans to remain vigilant and report suspected cases of child labour and exploitation in their communities.

Speaking at the Ministry’s World Day Against Child Labour Jingle Competition awards ceremony at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston on Friday, the minister warned that child exploitation often occurs in plain sight and can go unnoticed.

“You have persons moving from parish to parish that are exploited, trafficked, sent to people who they don’t know to do things that they shouldn’t be doing… it’s right here, sometimes right in front of you and you don’t see it or pick it up,” Charles Jr. said.

He noted that one of the clearest signs of child labour is when children are prevented from attending school because they are required to work.

While acknowledging that age-appropriate household chores can help teach responsibility, the minister stressed that any activity that interferes with a child’s education, development or well-being should not be tolerated.

“Not all things are child labour. Your parents still have the ability to direct you when it comes to chores, but the problem comes when adults or even other children overreach to use, abuse, misuse and exploit our children,” he said.

Charles Jr. highlighted the long-term impact of child exploitation, noting that many social challenges can be linked to traumatic childhood experiences.

“It is important for children to get an opportunity to be children, to grow, to learn, and to be healthy physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally, because a healthy child becomes a healthy adult,” he added.

The minister said the Ministry continues to strengthen prevention, protection and enforcement measures through its Child Labour Unit while expanding public education campaigns on the issue.

He also encouraged students attending the ceremony to become advocates against child labour by sharing the information with their schools and communities.

Meanwhile, Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dione Jennings, said the jingle competition provided an important platform for children and young people to engage in discussions about child labour and their role in ending it.

She noted that the initiative forms part of a wider global effort to eliminate child exploitation while ensuring families have access to decent livelihoods and fair opportunities.

Director of Children and Family Programmes at the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA), Dr. Warren Thompson, said every child deserves the opportunity to learn, play and grow in a safe environment free from exploitation.

He encouraged Jamaicans to report suspected cases of child abuse, neglect, exploitation or child labour through the CPFSA’s 24-hour hotline, 211, noting that early intervention can make a significant difference in a child’s life.

The World Day Against Child Labour Jingle Competition was held under the theme, “Red Card to Child Labour: Fair Play for Children, Decent Work for Adults,” and forms part of the Ministry’s ongoing efforts to eliminate child labour in all its forms.

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