Mali

Programme initiatives to tackle child labour

Early in the project discussions took place with partners in Mali to identify the best approach for the project to take and how to maximise cooperation with other programme activity underway at that time.

As a result several new Action Programmes were implemented by the project with a focus on education services to children and mobilising community action against child labour. One programme focussed on reaching younger out of school children through a programme of accelerated education, aiming to reintegrate children in education. Other programmes focussed more on the needs of older children, including needs for skills training.

The security and political crisis in Mali during the project period had some impacts on the project, but overall the project was able to complete planned activities.

Capacity of partners to promote effective action

The project helped to increase contacts and cooperation on child labour issues between the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Education. Both Ministries had opportunities to see the programmes that were being supported and engage with the local partners involved. The Ministries also participated in activities with local councillors which sought to ensure integration of attention to child labour in community development plans.

The project also worked with the national teachers’ trade union SNEC, which had developed a series of model lessons on child labour.

National partners also participated in capacity building and knowledge sharing workshops involving the four project countries and held at the International Training Centre of the ILO (ITC-ILO) in Turin.

Knowledge sharing

A number of meetings of project partners have been held in order to facilitate knowledge sharing. In April 2014 a national workshop was held on the theme of mainstreaming child labour in education policies and programmes. This enabled local experiences from the project to be fed into discussions with the national partners.

There was also exchange of experience between the areas of Kéniéba and Sikasso (which both have in common the problem of children working in traditional mining). The exchanges involved elected municipal officials, school authorities, the Ministry of Labour and civil society.

Resources

  1. Brochure

    Combattre le travail des enfants par l'éducation et la formation professionnelle au Mali

    13 April 2015

  2. Note d'information

    Combattre le travail des enfants par l'éducation au Mali - Note d'information

    31 March 2015

    Le Mali a l'un des taux de travail des enfants les plus élevés dans le monde et les enfants maliens sont parmi les enfants les moins susceptibles d'aller à l'école primaire. Cette note d'orientation se base sur des informations provenant d'une étude récente qui suggère des mesures à prendre afin de mieux combattre le travail des enfants par des politiques et des programmes d'éducation.

  3. Workshop report

    Skills and livelihoods training for older children - A summary of a project knowledge sharing workshop

    30 July 2014

    This report is an outcome of a five day workshop conducted as a strategic component for knowledge sharing under the IPEC project “Combatting child labour through education”.

  4. Workshop report

    Combating child labour through education - A summary of a project knowledge sharing workshop, Turin, 8-12 April 2013

    23 April 2013

  5. Report

    Child labour and education in Mali

    12 November 2012