Combating Child Labour through Education and Training (Support to the National Time Bound Programme – SDC Funded) (Phase IV)

Project Summary The ILO, supported by SDC funding, is implementing a project of support to the National Time Bound Programme on the elimination of CL in four districts of NWFP (Peshawar, Nowsehra, Mardan and Charsadda Districts), since 1999. The ILO, working through various programmes and projects, is focused on contributing to give shape to the “Decent Work Agenda” in Pakistan, through ‘Capacity Building’ in such varied areas as Employment, Skills Training, Labour Issues, as well as Women and Child Rights. This SDC supported project in NWFP, in close collaboration with other ILO Projects, particularly the DANIDA supported Project, are well positioned to develop effective strategies to combat child labour. It combines Public Sector, Social Partners and Civil Society Organizations to work in unison for the cause. The project contributes towards production of skilled manpower, raising basic educational level for intelligent citizenships, increasing the participation and retention of children in schools, particularly girls, during the basic education cycle and providing a more amenable educational environment for age range affected children. IPEC facilitates the implementing agencies to perform their mandated tasks effectively by providing Advisory and Technical inputs. In this context, IPEC, via the project, will provide active support to the implementing organizational entities to develop appropriate competence in combating child labour and its institutionalization. In the previous funding cycle, the project developed a multi pronged strategy, incrementally achieving the following: • Developed a viable Model of Education and Skills Training for working children • Developed Awareness and Counselling Strategies for Social Mobilization of Educators, Law Enforcement Agencies, Trade Unions, Employers Organizations and Communities by actively involving concerned line ministries for the eradication of child labour. • Promoted partnership among government, civil society and ILO Social partners for harmonious inputs. • Strengthened Institutional Development process. A joint final independent evaluation of the project funded by SDC and DANIDA was conducted in April 2008. The overall conclusion of the evaluation was that Government entities and policy frameworks are gradually taking child labour into consideration in planning and policy (afternoon schools, teachers training on Child Labour, IPEC’s curriculum on Supporting Children's Rights through Education, Arts and Media (SCREAM), and Child Labour needs factored into new education and skills training policies). Secondly, the project has made great headway by developing innovative, replicable and culturally-sensitive models, in fostering a greater awareness of child labour and other occupational safety and social welfare issues at different levels. It has significantly improved the knowledgebase on child labour in the NWFP and enhanced the capacity of duty bearers at all levels. Thirdly, the project has been for the most part successful in reaching targets to divert children from child labour by enrolling them in non-formal education and offering them formal education and skills training alternatives. It has been successful in bridging gender gaps arising from the infrastructural and cultural constraints compromising girls’ access to schooling. The mission further concluded that the project brings together a broad constituency of partners and capitalize on their respective strengths, but fall short in institutionalizing their interventions. Now, in order to ensure the institutionalization and sustainability of the project interventions, with a view to attaining optimization of impact, this Project Document proposes to seek the provision of additional funding of US $ 2.884 million to consolidate the achievements of the project in NWFP settled districts (principally the Peshawar, Nowsehra, Mardan and Charsadda Districts), and to expand the Project scope by supporting SDC Child Rights

Project symbol

PAK/08/04/SDC

Admin unit

CO-Islamabad

Start date

01/05/2009

End date

11/11/2011

Total allocation

417809

Total expenditure

Status

Closed

417809

Development Partners

Switzerland, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation

Country/Countries

Pakistan

Outcomes

Child Labour