More than 20,000 children in Türkiye have been supported to remain in education through a large-scale initiative led by the International Labour Organization (ILO), in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security. The project focuses on eliminating child labour in seasonal agriculture and strengthening long-term systems to keep vulnerable children in school.
The European Union–funded programme reached over 21,000 children across 17 provinces, addressing the root causes of child labour while improving institutional capacity and coordination among public agencies. It also strengthened digital monitoring systems designed to identify at-risk children and prevent school dropout.
A key focus of the initiative was improving the living and working conditions of seasonal agricultural workers and their families. The project provided direct support to thousands of households, including counselling services for more than 10,000 families and health and parenting training for nearly 5,000 caregivers.
Field interventions ensured that around 17,000 children were directed to schools and social support centres, while receiving educational materials, clothing, and transportation assistance to reduce barriers to attendance. Infrastructure improvements were also carried out, including the construction and renovation of 34 facilities used by seasonal workers.
In addition to direct support, the programme conducted awareness campaigns reaching more than 180,000 people and produced multiple research studies to strengthen policy responses. It also brought together dozens of stakeholders to improve coordination in efforts to eliminate child labour.
ILO officials emphasized that child labour is deeply connected to broader structural issues such as poverty, informality, and lack of decent work opportunities. They highlighted the need for integrated solutions that combine education, social protection, and labour standards enforcement to achieve sustainable progress.
The initiative demonstrates how coordinated policy action and international cooperation can reduce child labour, improve access to education, and strengthen social protection systems for vulnerable communities.
