Within the scope of the fight against child labor in the sector of seasonal agriculture, an important project that will cover 12 thousand children in 16 provinces will be implemented by General Directorate of Labour affiliated to Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Services.

The Project “Prevention of Child Labor in Seasonal Agriculture” is one of the most comprehensive initiatives ever carried out to combat child labor.

12 thousand children will be reached out

With this project, various activities will be carried out for a large number of children who work or have the risk of working in seasonal agriculture.

In addition to on-site training, counseling and rehabilitation services; training, food and clothing support will be provided to 12 thousand children. Working children, families, employers, school administrators, teachers, mukhtars and agricultural intermediaries will be reached out through the activities of the project. Child labor in agriculture will be prevented and children will be steered to education.

Project will be implemented in 40 months

With a total budget of 29.7 million Euros, the lifespan of the project will be approximately 40 months. The project will be implemented in the provinces of Şanlıurfa, Mardin, Adıyaman, Diyarbakır, Adana, Mersin, Hatay, Izmir, Manisa, Ankara, Eskişehir, Konya, Malatya, Ordu, Bursa and Düzce, which receive or send highest numbers of migrants for seasonal agriculture.

Support will also be given to family members of the children who work or are at the risk of working in seasonal agriculture. Families will be directed to vocational training programs to improve life quality and professional skills. Furthermore, agricultural intermediaries, employers and village headmen will be provided with trainings on the negative aspects of child labor in seasonal agriculture and the relevant legislation on this field.

The project is expected to make a significant contribution to the endeavors on fighting against child labor in Turkey. It will also support the achievement of the targets of the National Program on Combating Child Labor, which was prepared and is being implemented in line with 2023 goals. In coordination and cooperation with all relevant parties, services in a wide range from transportation to shelter and education to health will be provided to families and their children working in seasonal agriculture to improve their living and working conditions.

With the Utilization of a Tracking System, All Information will be Gathered at One Point

With the Child Labor Monitoring and Tracking System to be established as part of the project, information will be gathered under one roof. Information on monitoring the educational attendance and success of children who are prevented from working and information on the current situation of families working in seasonal agriculture and their children, as well as their capacity to access to public services, will be collected in a single system.

Within the scope of the project that will be implemented in cooperation with the European Union (EU) and International Labor Organization (ILO) Office for Turkey; the Ministry of National Education, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, which are the responsible organizations in the field of combating child labor, will work in close coordination with the relevant institutions such as ISKUR and various CSOs.