Child labor still widespread in Italy: charity study

Child labor is still widespread in Italy, although largely undetected, a study by Save the Children charity suggested on Wednesday.

An estimated 336,000 minors aged 7-15 have had at least one working experience in their life, equal to about 1 out of 15 children of that age in the country, according to the research.

Based on 82,000 interviews with teens living in Italy, the new data were released ahead of the United Nations' World Day against Child Labour, which is celebrated every June 12 since 2002.

Some 160 million minors are believed to be in child labor globally, according to the UN; although still high, their number dropped by some 85.5 million from 2000 to 2020.

In Italy, the minimum age for work is 16, and no public statistics on child labor are available.

Marking the event, Italian President Sergio Mattarella urged society to create "an environment in which girls and boys can grow up healthy, educated, and free."

"In order to do away with the deep-rooted causes of the phenomenon, and protect the rights of the child, we need an approach capable of engaging governments, organizations, companies, communities and individuals," Mattarella said.

News.Az