Exhibition Organized to Raise Awareness on Child Labor

Exhibition Held to Draw Attention to Child Labour Within the scope of a comprehensive model project aimed at ending the worst forms of child labour in seasonal hazelnut farming in Turkey, conducted by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, an exhibition was opened in Şanlıurfa on 20 November, World Children's Rights Day, to draw attention to the importance of combating child labour and the educational rights of children. The exhibition opened in Şanlıurfa, the province with the highest seasonal agricultural migration, showcases works created by children from seasonal farm-worker families in Şanlıurfa who received education while their families worked in the fields during the 2022 harvest season in provinces to which they migrated under the project. The exhibition can be visited between 21-27 November 2022. The exhibition, opened at Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum Exhibition Hall, began with opening remarks by Şanlıurfa Deputy Governor Yeliz Mercan and ILO Turkey Director Numan Özcan.

ILO Turkey Director Özcan made the following remarks on the subject:

"Dear children, I saw some of you this summer, I saw you in Ordu, in Giresun, in Trabzon. You were our guests there, and we came here today to be your guests, to visit you. Why did we come here specifically today? Perhaps you know that 20 November is World Children's Rights Day. 33 years ago, the United Nations designated this day for children and adopted a convention on the protection of children's rights."  

Deputy Governor Mercan addressed the following points in her remarks:

"I thank, above all, the International Labour Organization Turkey Directorate for organizing this event as part of Children's Rights Day on 20 November, and I extend my gratitude to our National Education system, the Labour Institution, our other stakeholders, and the Provincial Directorate of Agriculture. Every child, every individual is born with inalienable, inevitable, indivisible rights. The most important of these are the right to life, the right to a life appropriate to their development, the right to a life befitting human dignity, and alongside these, the right to health and the right to education. These rights are inalienable rights from birth for every individual, and as a state, we are obliged to take certain measures regarding the exercise of these rights, their proper practice, and their transmission to the future as strong individuals."   The programme continued with a video explaining ILO's work in combating child labour. Sinan Altun, who himself was a child labourer and later graduated from university with support from ILO projects, now works to direct children in the region toward school. He delivered a speech and sent a message to seasonal farm-worker families and children: "We are always with you." As part of the ILO's "Supporting Children's Rights through Education, Arts and Media Programme (SCREAM)" to promote efforts against child labour, students from Ankara Doku Koleji, who conduct awareness activities on child labour, delivered an oratorio on children's rights. The programme concluded with a commemorative photograph of all participants and a tour of the exhibition. At the event, a book written by author Şermin Yaşar to draw attention to child labour was gifted to children by the ILO. Following the exhibition, the children toured the Archaeology Museum.  

About ILO's Child Labour Elimination Programme

To eliminate child labour in seasonal agriculture, the ILO works through projects conducted within the framework of the Child Labour Elimination Programme in Turkey to prevent child labour in seasonal agriculture in 21 provinces in Turkey. Project activities are implemented through supporting children's formal education and conducting social and cultural activities that will contribute to their physical, social and emotional health. Families working in seasonal agriculture are informed through counselling services about the risks of work that children perform in dangerous and unhealthy conditions. Garden owners also participate in information sessions on the legal framework introduced to eliminate child labour. Within the project scope, support packages are provided to families, while transportation services, food assistance, hygiene and stationery kits are provided to children.