Quiz of the Day
Workers' Rights & Justice
Friday, 12 June 2026
World Day Against Child Labour — human rights, labour laws, social justice
1. What year was the World Day Against Child Labour first observed?
- 2000
- 2002
- 1995
- 2010
The International Labour Organization (ILO) launched the World Day Against Child Labour on June 12, 2002, to raise awareness about the global extent of child labour. At that time, an estimated 246 million children were engaged in child labour worldwide.
2. Approximately how many children worldwide are still in child labour according to recent estimates?
- 250 million
- 40 million
- 80 million
- 160 million
The ILO and UNICEF estimated in 2020 that 160 million children — nearly 1 in 10 worldwide — are engaged in child labour. After two decades of decline, the number actually increased by 8.4 million between 2016 and 2020, partly due to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
3. What is the International Labour Organization (ILO)?
- A private charity founded by industrialists
- A UN agency setting international labour standards
- A World Bank division
- A European trade union
The ILO was founded in 1919 as part of the Treaty of Versailles and became the first specialised agency of the United Nations in 1946. It is the only tripartite UN agency, bringing together governments, employers, and workers. It won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1969.
4. Which sector employs the largest share of child labourers globally?
- Mining
- Manufacturing
- Domestic service
- Agriculture
Agriculture accounts for about 70% of all child labour worldwide, involving roughly 112 million children. Many work in hazardous conditions on cocoa, tobacco, cotton, and sugar cane farms. Much of the chocolate consumed in wealthy nations has supply chains linked to child labour in West Africa.
5. What landmark 1833 law was one of the first to restrict child labour in factories?
- The Factory Act (UK)
- The Industrial Reform Act
- The Fair Labor Standards Act (USA)
- The Children's Charter
The 1833 Factory Act banned children under 9 from working in textile factories and limited those aged 9-13 to 8 hours a day. Before this, children as young as 5 worked 16-hour days. Factory inspectors were appointed for the first time to enforce the law — a revolutionary concept.
6. What does the concept of a 'living wage' mean?
- The maximum wage a company can pay
- The legal minimum wage set by government
- A wage sufficient to cover basic needs and some discretionary income
- The average wage in a country
The concept of a living wage dates back to at least 1894 when Pope Leo XIII argued workers deserved enough to live on. Today, in many countries the statutory minimum wage falls below what is considered a living wage. The gap between the two can be significant — sometimes 30-50% or more.
7. Which American activist and former child labourer fought for child labour reform in the early 1900s?
- Cesar Chavez
- Mother Jones
- Rosa Parks
- Eleanor Roosevelt
Mary Harris 'Mother Jones' organised the 1903 'March of the Mill Children' — a 125-mile march of child textile workers from Philadelphia to President Roosevelt's home in New York. Some of the children were missing fingers from factory accidents. She continued fighting for workers' rights until she was nearly 100 years old.
8. What United Nations document, adopted in 1989, outlines the rights of children worldwide?
- UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
- Geneva Convention
- International Covenant on Civil Rights
- Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history — every UN member state has ratified it except the United States. It establishes that children have the right to be protected from economic exploitation and hazardous work.
9. What is the standard minimum age for employment set by the ILO?
- 16 years
- 15 years
- 14 years
- 12 years
ILO Convention 138 sets the general minimum working age at 15 (or the age of completing compulsory schooling). Developing countries may set it at 14. For hazardous work, the minimum is 18. Light work may be permitted from age 13. Over 170 countries have ratified this convention.
10. What was the original purpose of the eight-hour workday movement?
- To reduce electricity costs
- To divide the day into 8 hours work, 8 hours rest, 8 hours recreation
- To increase factory output
- To match school hours
The slogan 'Eight hours labour, eight hours recreation, eight hours rest' originated with Robert Owen in 1817. It took over a century of struggle before the 8-hour day became standard. The Ford Motor Company adopted it in 1914 and found that productivity actually increased — helping convince other employers.
11. Which Pakistani activist won the Nobel Peace Prize for her work on children's right to education?
- Asma Jahangir
- Mukhtaran Mai
- Malala Yousafzai
- Benazir Bhutto
Malala Yousafzai won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 at age 17, making her the youngest Nobel laureate ever. She was shot in the head by the Taliban in 2012 for advocating girls' education in Pakistan. She survived and continued her activism. She shared the prize with Indian children's rights activist Kailash Satyarthi.
12. What is 'fair trade' certification primarily designed to ensure?
- Products are locally made
- Products are organic
- Companies pay higher taxes
- Workers receive fair wages and decent working conditions
The modern fair trade movement began in the 1960s. Fair trade certified products now generate over $10 billion in annual sales. Studies show that fair trade premiums have helped reduce child labour on certified farms by funding schools and improving family incomes, particularly in coffee and cocoa production.
13. What was the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire of 1911?
- A fire that destroyed the first skyscraper
- The first factory fire in American history
- A planned demolition that went wrong
- A deadly fire that killed 146 garment workers and spurred safety reforms
The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York killed 146 workers, mostly young immigrant women, because exit doors were locked to prevent breaks. Many jumped from the 8th and 9th floors. The tragedy led to 36 new labour laws including fire safety codes, factory inspections, and the growth of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union.
14. What global initiative aims to eliminate the worst forms of child labour?
- UNICEF's Child Compact
- ILO Convention 182
- The Paris Agreement
- The Millennium Development Goals
ILO Convention 182, adopted in 1999, targets the worst forms of child labour including slavery, trafficking, forced recruitment into armed conflict, and hazardous work. In 2020, it became the first ILO convention to be ratified by all 187 member states — universal ratification that took 21 years to achieve.
15. Which country was the first to introduce compulsory education, helping reduce child labour?
- United States
- Prussia (Germany)
- France
- United Kingdom
Prussia introduced compulsory education in 1763 under Frederick the Great, requiring all children aged 5-13 to attend school. Compulsory education is one of the most effective tools against child labour — when children must be in school, they cannot be in factories or fields. Today, about 90% of countries have compulsory education laws.