Sri Lanka adopts new rules against child labour
The government ban comes into force tomorrow. Children under 16 are banned from begging, street trading and domestic work, while dangerous work is off-limits to those aged 16 to 18. Minister Jayatissa cites the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Children are 30 per cent of the Sri Lankan population. Poverty, migration and poor education are the main causes of exploitation.
Colombo (AsiaNews) – Sri Lanka has announced stricter child labour laws, whose implementation starts tomorrow, 1 July 2025. The government ban includes activities like “begging, street trading and domestic work,” said a spokesperson for the Cabinet and Minister of Health and Mass Media, Nalinda Jayatissa.
The crackdown specifically prohibits the employment of persons under the age of 16 in such activities, while persons between the ages of 16 and 18 will not be allowed to perform hazardous work.
To reach this goal, the authorities said that they will strictly enforce existing laws, as well as launch a major awareness campaign to educate the public about the new rules.
Speaking at the weekly cabinet meeting on June 25, Minister Jayatissa stressed that every person under the age of 18 is legally a child, according to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The latest statistics show that about 30 per cent of Sri Lanka’s population falls into this category.
There are many main reasons for child labour in Sri Lanka, with first and foremost, family poverty. In fact, low-income families often rely on their children’s additional earnings to meet basic needs. Boys and girls are thus forced to work to support the family unit.
In addition, poor education, the loss of a parent, parental migration (internal and external) and emotional distress also lead children to enter the workforce prematurely. Unsurprisingly, these factors often leave boys and girls with great vulnerabilities, without adequate support.
Due to poverty, over 10,000 children in Sri Lanka live in institutions; these institutions are not ideal environments and can have an indirect impact on children’s exposure to work.
In addition, other socioeconomic factors include lack of access to education, lack of voice for boys and girls in decision-making, and insufficient enforcement of labour laws.
These causes are intertwined, making child labour a complex social issue in the South Asian country, closely linked to economic and family hardships.
The government has already adopted policies to eliminate child labour, focusing on its worst forms to protect children’s rights and welfare. However, challenges remain in addressing the problem in the country.
The “National Policy for the Elimination of Child Labour in Sri Lanka,” adopted in September 2017, is among the most notable initiatives, as part of a broader national programme to protect children from exploitation and raise awareness of their rights. It also includes measures to tackle human trafficking and forced labour.
The plan emphasises the strict enforcement of existing child labour laws and marks a significant step towards safeguarding the rights and well-being of children in Sri Lanka.
Back in 2017, a 60 per cent decrease was reported over 2008-2009 survey results.
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