By Lincoln G. Peters
Defence for Children Liberia (DCI-LIBERIA) alarms over skyrocketing of exploitative child domestic work in Liberia.
Addressing a news press conference in Monrovia Tuesday, December 19, 2023, DCI-LIBERIA Executive Director, Attorney Foday Kawa said, exploitative child domestic work in Liberia greatly increased in 2023.
Based upon that, he says DCI-LIBERIA and partners will be piloting an evidence-based project to tackle this abuse in the country, targeting Montserrado and Nimba counties.
According to him, DCI-LIBERIA with support from Freedom Fund will combat exploitative child domestic work, because data collected by the Freedom Fund in 2023 shows shameless report on Liberia.
“Data collected by Freedom Fund, 2023 in Liberia indicates that CDWs spent around 20.4 hours per week doing domestic work, with half of the CDWs working between 14 and 25 hours. On average, older CDWs aged 16-17 years old spend more hours on domestic work, 25.0 hours per week than younger CDWs aged 12-15 years, 18.7 hours per week”, Atty. Kawa discloses.ย
He notes that CDWs spend most of their time washing or ironing clothes, fetching water, or firewood, cleaning, shopping or running errands for the household, and cooking.ย
Atty. Kawa points out that DCI-LIBERIA findings also uncover that majority of these children are brought from poor families, particularly in communities lacking social protection safety nets.
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“They are being allegedly trafficked under the disguise of reducing family financial burden, and responsibilities at home thereby providing quality education and or better standard living. Of the CDWs not currently enrolled, 54.8% are under 15 years of age and are thus out of school in violation of Liberia’s 2011 Education Reform Act. Effectively, nearly one in five, 18.2% CDWs are out of school a rate that is significantly worse than the average 13.0% of urban Liberian children who are out of school (UIS,2023b).” He details.
Giving the objective of the evidence-based research, he further laments that the overall goal of the project is to reduce exploitation among child domestic workers and empower survivors.
Atty. Kawa says he will collaborate with Civil Society Organizations, and government to strengthen the capacity to transition communities away from child domestic work and protect them from abuse and exploitation.ย
“DCI-LIBERIA will form partnership and collaborate with local community stakeholders to hold town hall meetings with traditional, religious, and cultural leaders as well as align the project to enhance their capacity, influence and impact in the communities. We will also organize religious and children dialogue fora as well as amplify the voice of children at the forefront of the actions and create a tangible change and impact that will address the ongoing violation” he noted.ย
Atty. Kawa points out that this will include advocating for policy change and raising awareness of childrenโs rights, providing clarity on the minimum age of work as well as taking affirmative action to ensure access to TVET program for survivors of CDWs that will provide them with better opportunities, resources and protection to help them realize their full potential.
He notes that CDWs is in violation of children’s rights and also violate the Liberia Decent Work Act of 2015.ย
