On May 12-14, 2015, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, the Pathways to Sustainability: Together We Can Eliminate Child Labour in Agriculture conference convened key stakeholders from Tanzania, Malawi, Uganda, the United States and Switzerland for discussions on numerous topics related to child labor, and to reach consensus on the activities and policies necessary to eradicate child labor in agriculture.
Winrock President and CEO Rodney Ferguson joined this unique gathering of local government officials, civil society experts and business representatives.
“Today,” said Ferguson, addressing attendees, “we are recognizing and strengthening the efforts of government and local stakeholders to eliminate child labor in agriculture, build rural economies, and agree on outcomes and recommendations for effective rural development and education programs, opportunities and preparing youth with the skills and information they need to build their futures and Tanzania’s.”
Representatives from the government of Tanzania, the Eliminating Child Labour in Tobacco Growing Foundation, the International Labour Organization, the International Rescue Committee, UNICEF, research institutions, trade unions, private companies, and the PROSPER project attended panels on the cross-sectoral nature of child labor, and the role of local and national government, private sector stakeholders, the media, unions, employers, and communities in addressing these issues. The outcome of the conference was a collaborative plan of action that outlined stakeholders’ roles, responsibilities, and recommendations to reinforce efforts to address and eliminate child labor in Tanzania.
The conference was organized by Winrock Intenational’s Promoting Sustainable Practices to Eradicate Child Labour in Tobacco (PROSPER) project and the government of Tanzania in collaboration with the International Labour Organization, and was funded by the Eliminating Child Labour in Tobacco Growing (ECLT) Foundation. The conference outcomes set the stage for taking action on child labor issues in preparation for next month’s World Day Against Child Labor, observed June 12 worldwide.