Mafraq, Nov. 20 (Petra) –Queen Zein Al Sharaf Association for Social Development in Mafraq Thursday announced the results of the fourth phase of the "Preventing and Minimizing Child Labor in Identified Hazardous Sectors in Jordan," implemented with support from the Regional Development and Protection Program (RDPP), in conjunction with World Children’s Day.

Minister of Labor Khaled Bakkar, who sponsored the event, said Jordan is "committed" to protecting and safeguarding children.

The ministry, he noted, works annually with governmental and non-governmental partners and civil-society institutions to curb child labor and ensure children receive proper care in the environment they belong to the classroom, not the labor market.

Bakkar added that the principles of the international conventions ratified by Jordan have been reflected in Labor Law No. 8 of 1996 and its amendments, which prohibit recruitment of minors under the age of 16 in any form, and ban employing minors in hazardous, exhausting, or harmful work before the age of 18. These hazardous occupations are defined by a specific ministerial decision.

Addressing the audience, Bakkar stated the Jordan Labor Law imposes fines ranging from JD300 to JD500 on employers who violate these provisions, doubled upon repetition.

Bakkar noted national efforts this year launched the slogan "A Child Who Learns A Jordan That Advances," underscoring education’s central role in combating child labor and promoting national progress.

He said the Ministry of Labour’s role within the National Strategy to Reduce Child Labor (2022–2030) aims to strengthen inspection procedures related to working conditions, refer child-labour cases to relevant authorities, protect working children from all forms of exploitation, reduce wage violations, and ensure decent working conditions for minors aged 16 to 18, in line with legal frameworks.

In turn, Project Director Huda Zaytawi said the project continues its child-labour response efforts by focusing on education as a "key driver of change, despite notable progress in reducing illiteracy." She noted some families and communities still lack awareness of the importance of schooling.

She underlined the project adopted a holistic methodology that documented the conditions of working children, mainly type of work and household circumstances, then assessment of the economic situation of eligible families.

Integrated services were provided, including psychological and social counselling, as well as support for re-enrolling children in school, in coordination with the Mafraq Education Directorate, she pointed out.

Zaytawi added that the project recommends distancing children from hazardous sectors and integrating them into appropriate educational programs in formal schooling or non-formal education offered at the association, in support of the Ministry of Labor’s national strategy, which aligns with the Royal directives prioritizing child protection and expanding access to education.

//Petra// AO