National Policy on the Elimination of Child Labour.

Child labour constitutes one of the greatest sources of child abuse and exploitation and is a fundamental violation of the rights of the child. The Government of Uganda: acknowledges that a stable, prosperous and modernized Uganda will thrive by investing in children; understands that child labour, particularly in its worst forms, violates the dignity of children and hinders the realization of national development goals; recognizes explicitly the close link between eliminating child labour and other important national concerns including eradicating poverty, improving accessibility to education and reducing the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The vision of this policy is a society free of exploitative child labour, in which all working children enjoy their right to childhood, education, dignity and the full development of their potential. A multi-sectoral National Steering Committee on Child Labour and the Child Labour Unit in the Ministry of Gender Labour and Social Development provide guidance and coordination to the above measures. The mission of this policy is to provide an enabling environment for the prevention, protection and elimination of child labour (6.1.2).
This policy is based on recognition that all human beings, adults and children, have rights. Children virtue of their age and needs are entitled to specific rights, including education, health, survival, development, protection and participation. The policy recognizes that the impact of action against child labour will be driven by a multi-sectoral and comprehensive approach to create opportunities for information gathering, sharing knowledge and coordination of activities. Actions will be undertaken at different levels in a phased manner. The overall objective of the policy is to guide and promote sustainable action aimed at the progressive elimination of child labour, starting with the worst forms. The specific objectives are: to integrate child labour concerns into national, district and community programmes and plans, to establish a legislative and institutional framework to initiate, coordinate, monitor and evaluate child labour programmes (9.2).
Poverty is the inability of an individual, family or community to attain a minimum standard of living. This is evidenced by the lack of basic needs and services such as food, clothing, bedding, shelter, paraffin, basic health care, roads, markets, education, information and communication. Poverty dimensions of social exclusion, powerlessness, ignorance and lack of knowledge are also understood as drawn to as key aspects of poverty in Uganda (1.1.7). Poverty particularly in the rural areas is the most powerful force driving children into exploitative and hazardous work. The children of the rural poor are most vulnerable to the harsh demands to work for family survival. Most of them work to contribute towards food, clothing, school materials and medical care. In other situations, poverty drives children into exploitative work where they are not paid at all or they are paid very little (2.2). The policy realizes that women and children often bear the burden of poverty and consequently child labour. Gender concerns will be mainstreamed to cater for the specific gender needs and situations of the working boys and girls (7.6).