Students have been urged to be alert to the warning signs of child labour, even though no cases have been reported on the island.
Acting Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and the Third Sector, Faye Prescod, said the fight against child exploitation requires continued awareness and action by young people.
Prescod delivered the message on Tuesday during a forum, dubbed Protect Our Children: Raise Your Voice Against Child Labour, at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, where she reminded students that awareness and advocacy remain critical.
While noting that child labour is not prevalent nationally, she stressed the importance of keeping young children informed about what to look out for.
“There’s a big difference between helping others and working,” Prescod told the audience. “Some children around the world don’t get to go to school, play, or dream big because they have to work long hours in fields, factories, or even on the streets. That’s called child labour and it’s not fair.”
She underscored that child labour goes beyond simple chores or part-time tasks.
“Every child deserves to learn, laugh, and live freely. Child labour isn’t just working…it’s work that is dangerous. It’s work that stops children from learning and work that steals their childhood.”
Prescod added: “In 2026 there are still about 138 million children trapped in child labour. That is a huge number, but each one of those is a child who deserves to play and dream just like you. We want a world where the only job a child has is to grow, learn, and be happy.”
She encouraged students to see themselves as advocates for change when they see concerning situations.
“Guess what, you, yes you have the power to make a difference by raising your voice, sharing what you learned today, and standing up for others. Today isn’t just about listening to us adults talk, it’s about you.”
The Child Labour Committee was established under the ministry in 2024. The committee, which includes representatives from the police service and various churches, was formed to promote safe and appropriate activities for children.
“We do meet once every quarter and last year, as was stated, they concentrated on the secondary schools to sensitise them on issues surrounding child labour,” she said.
Although Barbados has not recorded any reported cases, Prescod explained that as part of the Latin America and Caribbean region, the island is often grouped with countries where child labour remains more prevalent.
“In Barbados, child labour is not really a big concern. We haven’t had any reported cases of child labour… but we still have to continue to sensitise persons on what is child labour and what is not child labour, so they’ll be aware if they see anything that they think is child labour, so they can speak out, let an adult know.”
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