Child Workers in Asia [CWA] was established in 1985 as a support group for child workers in Asia, and the NGOs working with them. From a small group of five organizations, it now brings together over 50 groups/organizations working on child labour in 14 countries. It facilitates sharing of expertise and experiences between NGOs and strengthens their collaboration to jointly respond to the exploitation of working children in the region.



For the last fifteen years, CWA has been a venue for interaction between big and small NGOs. The network has strived to contribute to the development of the understanding of the situation of children who work and are exploited. It has tried its best to support the emergence of local actions for working children and for the promotion of children`s rights.



In February 1999, partners of CWA met at the 5th CWA Regional Consultation and reaffirmed the need for Asian NGOs to sustain their role as catalysts for social change, remain as a part of the major actors in agenda-setting from local to international levels, and ensure children`s participation in the formulation of programs and policies. Furthermore, the partners agreed to pursue actions for the identified priority groups of children: child domestic workers, bonded child labourers, trafficked children, and other groups of children in the worst forms of child labour.



CWA Vision

Asian societies without child labour exploitation where working children have their best interests protected by all social sectors.



Organizational Objectives

1. To promote the rights of working children within the contexts of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the ILO Conventions related to child labour;



2. To raise awareness and influence public opinion regarding child labour exploitation;



3. To provide a channel of communication and facilitate the sharing of information, materials, experiences and resources among people and organisations who are involved in child labour issues at various levels;



4. To co-ordinate action between NGOs in the region;



5. To assist and facilitate the formation of support groups for child workers at the country level; and



6. To seek new ways for the protection of child workers and the prevention of child labour exploitation.



Program Objectives [1999-2002]:

1. Strengthen the NGO [including some GO] and children`s network through capacity building in advocacy, organising children, conducting action researches, documentation, and monitoring



2. Propagate the concept of children`s participation



3. Organize/strengthen Task Forces for concrete actions addressing bonded child labour, child domestic work, and migration and trafficking



4. Encourage and support NGOs in conducting studies on sectors and countries where relevant information necessary for action is not available



5. Monitor existing approaches to combating child labour in Asia, examine international interventions, and disseminate information on innovative programs



6. Lobby with international organizations and UN bodies for the participation of children and NGOs in policy making and in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of programs.



Programs and Activities:

1. Focused interventions [through sub-regional and regional Task Forces]

• Child Domestic Workers

• Bonded Labour in South Asia

• Children Migrant Workers and Trafficked Children

[Mekong region, South Asia]



2. Capacity Building for NGOs

• Participatory research with children

• Advocacy and social mobilization

• Children`s Participation



3. Promotion of Children`s Participation

• National Leadership Trainings for Child Workers [at least 6 countries]

• Regional Leadership Training of Child Workers

• Facilitators` Training at National Levels

• Development of Manuals for use in Promoting Children`s Participation



4. Research, Documentation, and Information Dissemination

• CWA Newsletter - NGO and children`s perspectives and experiences

• Research - children and education, children in agriculture, child labour policies, girl labourers

• Reports on Child Labour



5. Advocacy and Lobbying

• Participation regional and international advocacy actions for children

• Regional workshops to discuss international instruments and their use for local campaigns and lobby

• Building of working relationships with regional and international policy and program formulating bodies.