Actions to Reduce Child Labor (ARCH) in Areas of Rubber Production

Using a blended area and sector-based approach, reduce exploitative child labor in areas of rubber production through the following intermediate objectives:

• Support Government and industry efforts to improve policies, programs and delivery of education, social protection and sustainable livelihood services;
• Provide direct educational and sustainable livelihood services to targeted children and households;
• Increase opportunities for decent and productive employment by youth;
• Link with social protection networks to improve access to services by vulnerable groups;
• Perform research and collect reliable data on child labor and worker safety, as well as develop effective strategies to address such issues;
• Raise awareness of exploitative child labor and its root causes; and
• Improve public access to information, ensure active local ownership and long-term sustainability of efforts

Summary of Activities:

The project is designed to reach these objectives through the following activities:

• Work with the Government, unions, industry and civil society to develop and capture best practices, and develop occupational safety and health guidelines for the rubber-agriculture sector;
• Establish an Advisory Council made up of Government, union, industry and civil society members to share information regarding developments in the rubber sector and advise future efforts;
• Improve access to and quality of education through the provision of improved learning environments, including school infrastructure rehabilitation, curriculum development and provision of teacher training and peer mentoring;
• Improve sustainable livelihoods, including through linkages and advocacy with rubber companies, establishment of Model Farm Schools and provision of occupational safety equipment;
• Provide training and technical support to Governmental institutions and industry groups, including on international labor standards;
• Improve stakeholders’ capacity to enforce child labor and worker safety provisions in land-lease/ concession and collective bargaining agreements;
• Establish Champion Communities and Child Labor Monitoring Committees; and
• Raise awareness on child labor and the importance of education throughout the target areas.