An increase in child labor has been recorded in the Cizire region due to poor economic conditions people have to cope with.

A large number of children are being employed for very low wages after dropping out of school.

Selah Luqman is 15 and is working at an iron casting workshop in Qamishlo. He left school when he was still in primary school and he has since been looking after his family of five.

Eli Rashid is 17 and works with cars. He too had to leave school and began working to look after his family who was in very serious economic conditions.

Cizire Democratic Autonomous Administration councils, together with the Working Committee, have launched an initiative 'against child labour".

Within the scope of the initiative studies have been carried out in all cities and districts of Cizire. Brochures titled "I have the right to read and the right to play" have been distributed to working children.

The initiative and research work have been carried out through a joint work of Workers Committee, Women, Health, Workers, Youth, Education councils, Organizational Affairs Office, Human Rights Bureau, Social Affairs Office.

While establishing committees in all the cities of the canton, the committees also visited the families to verify the situation of the children and thus propose adequate solutions.

During the visits, it was explained to families the importance for children to continue their education and how working at such a small age negatively affected the children both physically and psychologically.

At the beginning of the initiative, the Organization Affairs Office offered assistance to poor families so they were not forced to send their kids to work.

The Autonomous Administration councils has also plans to open a vocational school for children in the Cizire region.