Empowering Influencers to Tackle Child Exploitation in Ijegun Egba & Iyana-Isashi Communities
Influencers of the Child Domestic Work (CDW) Forum and Devatop team members gathered at the Ijegun Egba & Iyana-Isashi community of Lagos State on the 17th & 24th of July 2024, for a walk against child domestic worker exploitation. The walk, featuring 14 influencers, focused on raising awareness about CDW exploitation and to empower influencers as champions and agents of change within their spheres of influence.
The walk was centred around the Ijegun Egba & Iyana-Isashi markets, where influencers actively promoted the rights of every child, particularly those of Child Domestic Workers (CDWs). They stressed that CDWs deserve to be treated like any other children in a home, with equal rights under the law. The influencers encouraged the use of the TalkAm app and the DEVATOP WhatsApp number for reporting cases of child domestic exploitation.
A market leader, known as the Iyaloja at the Ijegun-Egba market, supported these efforts, urging vendors and community members to join in advocating for the fair treatment of child domestic workers. The community members were also encouraged to continue raising awareness and utilizing the resources shared during the event to sustain these efforts.
Janet Homo, DEVATOP’s Project Lead, urged participants to take individual action using their platforms, associations, hospitals, schools, and other areas of influence. Five influencers pledged to extend the awareness campaign on their platforms, showcasing the event’s significant impact.
Key achievements from the walk included sensitizing over 100 individuals, securing commitments for future engagements with community influencers, and raising awareness about the TALKAM app to encourage reporting of Child Domestic Worker exploitation cases.
