Exploitation of children and their work can be both the cause and the consequence of discrimination and inequality, said Commissioner for the Protection of Equality Brankica Janković and called on key stakeholders to extend support to vulnerable families, especially by implementing prevention measures, in order to terminate child labor in all areas.

Many poor households are exposed to multiple risk factors, which requires complex prevention interventions and measures for an active inclusion that combines financial compensation, employment of beneficiaries and quality services of integrated social care, said the Commissioner.

Janković underlined that socio-economic environment of a child can impact its exposure to abuse of children’s work and stressed that children from certain community groups, such as poor families or inhabitants of  Roma settlements, are exposed to discrimination more often and can be forced to work in a household or to earn an income.

Janković said that numerous researches reveal that local community services are not available enough, that they are unevenly developed and often unsustainable.

Among the speakers at the conference were Minister of Labor, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs Aleksandar Vulin, National coordinator of International Labor Organization (ILO) for Serbia Jovan Protić, Deputy President of Parlaiment Commitee for child rights Milena Bićanin and others.