Children are among the most affected by hazardous labour — yet they are too often excluded from the decision-making processes that define what types of work are acceptable or unacceptable for those under 18. This exclusion persists despite international recognition of children as active agents in their own development, capable of contributing meaningfully to family and societal decisions.
The obligation to consult children is firmly grounded in international law. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child obliges State parties “to assure to the child who is capable of forming his or her own views the right to express those views freely in all matters affecting the child.” This right is not limited to individual cases, but it extends to legal and policy frameworks.
Consulting children is therefore not only legally justified — it is a rights-based obligation and a practical necessity for effective policymaking.
The ECLT Foundation’s work in Mozambique and Tanzania illustrates the value of this approach. In the case of Tanzania, over 300 children working across sectors — including agriculture, fishing, mining, domestic work, and informal trade — shared their lived experiences in a participatory review of the country’s list of hazardous tasks. Their testimonies revealed risks that often go unnoticed by adults. For example, children described how diving to untangle fishing nets exposes them to the daily risk of drowning, and how long hours in domestic work leave them isolated, overworked, and vulnerable to abuse.
Many of the specific risks identified by children were not reflected in Tanzania’s existing legal definitions of hazardous work. The study underscored a vital truth: when children are meaningfully consulted, they offer essential insights that strengthen the relevance, accuracy, and effectiveness of protective frameworks.
As Tanzania and Mozambique move to revise their lists of hazardous occupations for children — and as other countries undertake similar reforms — this approach must become the norm: consult children directly, respectfully, and safely.
It’s not only the right thing to do — it results in smarter, more just, and more child-sensitive policies.
To help embed this approach in future reforms, the ECLT Foundation will continue working to ensure that children’s experiences shape the policies that are relevant to them. This includes bringing children’s perspectives to the forefront by sharing their stories with the international community, supporting safe and inclusive consultation methods and collaborating with partners to ensure that legal frameworks respond to the realities children face.
Let children be heard — their safety, dignity, and future depend on it.