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Who We Are

Every child has the right to thrive with respect and dignity and not become a forced income earner. The world has enough resources to ensure that children benefit from it, instead of exploiting them to boost the wealth they would never be able to enjoy. As the leading network of CSOs, unions and activists, GMACL’s mission is to address the systemic inequalities that create the socio-economic ecosystem for child labour to thrive and reduce the vulnerability of most affected communities using the collective strength of its network.

A world with safety education and freedom for every child. Where no child is forced into labour or denied their right to have a childhood.

Our Story

Global March is the largest movement to protect children from exploitation!

It began with an 80,000 km physical march across 103 countries to raise awareness and advocate for the elimination of child labour. Formally launched on 17 January 1998, the march culminated in Geneva on 1 June 1998, where children and adult marchers joined international labour delegates to demand an end to child labour and slavery.

Over 7 million people extended solidarity for the cause and many world leaders expressed their support.

Rooted in grassroots action and led by survivors, the movement became a landmark global force against child labour.

Our Founder

Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi is a human rights activist from India who has been at the forefront of the global movement to end child slavery and exploitative child labour since 1980. In 2014, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for the “struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education.” He conceived and led the largest civil society network for the most exploited children – the Global March Against Child Labour.
Satyarthi and the grassroots movement founded by him, Bachpan Bachao Andolan (Save the Childhood Movement), have liberated more than 85,000+ children from exploitation and developed a successful model for their education and rehabilitation. His efforts to end child slavery, trafficking, forced labour and violence received international support when in September 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations included child protection and welfare-related clauses. He envisions a world where children and youth can live with dignity and have the fundamental right to be free, safe, healthy, and educated.