This publication documents efforts by businesses and employers’ organizations in India, Brazil and South Africa to combat child labour. As relatively more is known about efforts to address child labour elimination among businesses in industrialized countries than among businesses domiciled in the global South, it is helps fill a significant knowledge gap.

This research is particularly useful to employers and their organizations, policy makers and others with an interest in strengthening the contribution of businesses to eliminate child labour.

Case studies in this publication provide insights into the multiple ways that child labour can present a challenge to business, and highlight practical approaches to addressing them. Businesses in India have long sought to tackle child labour in informal economy production, and the experiences documented in industries such as brick kiln sand knitwear are relevant to enterprises throughout the world. In Brazil, employers tackle the commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) by providing victims with rehabilitation, comprehensive skills training, and – utilizing their unique comparative advantage as business – gainful employment. Research in South Africa sheds light on both how sustainability initiatives may work to prevent child labour in supply chains and how CSEC was mitigated during the 2010 World Cup, offering important lessons for countries hosting major sporting events in the future.

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The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a United Nations agency whose mandate is to advance social and economic justice through setting international labour standards.