In the past few years, Việt Nam has made significant advancements in the fight against child labour through developing a solid legal framework aligned with international labour standards and carrying out several programs and projects to counter child labour nationally and locally.
However, child labour still persists in the country, especially in the economy's informal sector. According to the 2018 Việt Nam National Child Labour Survey conducted by the Ministry of Labour - Invalids and Social Affairs in partnership with the General Statistics Office with technical assistance from the International Labour Organization (ILO), 1,031,944 children aged 5 to 17 are engaged in child labour, of which 34.2% work 40 hours per week or more and 50.4% are involved in hazardous work.
The emerging evidence shows that child labour incidences are existing in increasingly complicated forms in addition to traditional patterns. Among them is the Online Sexual Exploitation of Children (OSEC). The technological advancement in Việt Nam has intensified the vulnerability of children to abuse and exploitation in the cyber world. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), more than 706,000 cases of online child sexual abuse materials (images/videos) were reported in Việt Nam, ranking 2nd in Southeast Asia. The issue of OSEC, also defined as one of the worst forms of child labour, has presented itself as a new challenge to the government of Viet Nam and its communities.
Funded by the United States Department of Labour, the Against Child Exploitation (ACE) project aims to strengthen the capacity of the Government of Việt Nam to address the Worst Forms of Child Labor (WFCL), including Online Sexual Exploitation of Children (OSEC) and violations of acceptable conditions of work. Implemented in the Philippines since 2019 and bringing back positive results, ACE Project, with a total budget of more than USD 2.4 million in Việt Nam, contributes to World Vision Việt Nam's commitment to a happy and meaningful life for every child.
In Việt Nam, three outcomes are expected following the ACE Project implementation, including:
- Improved enforcement of the legal framework and policies pertaining to the WFCL, including OSEC and violations of ACW
- Improved assistance services for victims of WFCL, including OSEC
- Strengthened partnerships to accelerate progress in addressing the WFCL, including OSEC and violations of ACW
To achieve those outcomes, five main groups of interventions are designed as below:
- Awareness raising activities to increase knowledge of the community on available services for children engaged in WFCL, including OSEC
- Capacity-building activities for Child Protection Committees members, social workers, and service providers
- Community engagement activities which include providing on-demand assistance services for children affected by WFCL, including OSEC and violations of acceptable conditions of work; promoting home visits, case management, and referral services; and piloting counseling and support points at the district level
- Partnership promotion to detect, remove and respond to OSEC as well as share promising practices in addressing child labor and OSEC
- Strengthening the child protection system through a set of community child labor monitoring tools; revision of criteria to define WFCL and support procedures for children affected by WFCL; and enhancement of the reporting and referral mechanism.
Budget
USD 2,400,000
Donor
United States Department of Labor
Timeline
April 2022 to September 2024
Location
Quảng Nam province, Điện Biên province, Đà Nẵng city
Direct beneficiaries
At-risk and most vulnerable children and victims of child labour and/or WFCL and OSEC
Project Overview:
For more information, please visit Project Fact Sheet.
Partners
- United States Department of Labor
- Department of Children's Affairs, Ministry of Labour - Invalids and Social Affairs
- Local Department of Labour - Invalids and Social Affairs
- People's Committees of the project's provinces and cities