UNICEF highlights persistent gaps in children’s rights in the Dominican Republic

Santo Domingo.- In 2024, an estimated 138 million children worldwide are engaged in child labor, with 54 million performing dangerous tasks that threaten their health and development, according to a new report by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and UNICEF. The report, “Child Labour: Global Estimates 2024, Trends and the Way Forward,” was released in conjunction with World Day Against Child Labour (June 12) and the International Day of Play (June 11). It highlights that, despite some progress, millions of children remain deprived of their rights to education, play, and protection.

UNICEF relaunched its “Raising Parents” campaign this June to emphasize play as a child’s right and a key to ending violence, while warning that the global goal of ending child labor by 2025 is off track. Although 20 million children have exited child labor since 2020, the pace of improvement remains inadequate.

In the Dominican Republic, child labor dropped from 6.7% in 2014 to 3.8% in 2019, based on ENHOGAR-MICS data. However, boys, rural communities, and the poorest families remain disproportionately affected. Alarmingly, 16.8% of working children don’t attend school, and 8.4% perform hazardous tasks. Between 2016 and 2022, over 3,400 children were identified as living on the streets or subjected to the worst forms of labor.

UNICEF and ILO urge governments to:

• Expand social protection programs like child benefits,

• Improve child protection systems,

• Guarantee free, quality education—especially in rural and crisis-affected areas,

• Provide decent jobs for adults and youth,

• Strengthen law enforcement to prevent child exploitation.

In parallel, UNICEF’s Parenting Month campaign promotes non-violent, play-centered parenting, responding to disturbing findings from the 2024 Dominican report on childhood violence: 63.5% of children aged 1–14 experience violent discipline at home, and reports of physical abuse in children under 10 have surged by 50%.

UNICEF calls for a cultural shift in parenting—replacing fear and punishment with affection, respect, and emotional safety.