Minister: Morocco is Making Strides in Combating Child Labor

Marrakech – In a session of oral questions at the House of Councilors on Tuesday, Minister of Economic Inclusion, Small Business, Employment and Skills, Younes Sekkouri, asserted that Morocco is among the few leading countries worldwide in the fight against child labor.

Responding to questions on the issue, Sekkouri pointed out that only 10,000 out of a total of 7 million children in Morocco are working, representing less than 1.6%. This indicator, he noted, highlights the country’s efforts to combat the phenomenon.

The minister emphasized that Morocco has successfully overcome the internationally prohibited practice of child labor under the age of 15, with over 80% of working children falling between the ages of 15 and 18.

Sekkouri further explained that the majority of working children come from rural areas, where they assist their families in generally seasonal work. Most of these children, he stressed, are not school dropouts and are not subjected to exploitation.

According to the minister, Morocco has been attentive to international conventions related to child labor for more than two decades, under the high patronage of King Mohammed VI.

The country has also established mechanisms to monitor the implementation of these conventions, with successive governments making significant efforts in this regard.

Regarding the activation of the inspection system to combat child labor, Sekkouri stated that the ministry develops an annual national inspection program, which includes child labor among its targeted issues.

Inspections are intensified for companies operating in the industrial and construction sectors, where the work of children aged 16 to 18 may pose some risks.

In addition to the efforts of labor inspectors, the ministry conducts awareness-raising sessions in partnership with business owners and social partners, alongside supporting programs implemented by associations to remove children from employment situations.

Despite these efforts, child labor remains a concern in Morocco.

A recent report by the High Commission for Planning (HCP) revealed that approximately 63.3% of working children, or about 69,000, are engaged in hazardous jobs.

The majority of these children live in rural areas, with the construction and public works sector posing the highest risk. The phenomenon is more common among boys and is often associated with school dropout rates.

The HCP’s data indicates that out of 7,775,000 Moroccan children aged 7 to 17, around 110,000 were employed in 2023, constituting 1.4% of this age group. Family dynamics and socio-economic factors play a significant role, with child labor being more prevalent in larger families and those with lower educational levels.