Ulaanbaatar
Child jockeys in cold seasons to result in legal liability
PoliticsUlaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ After many years of efforts of the international and domestic children’s rights organizations to support the rights of child jockeys, public attitudes and the legal environment are starting to make progress.
But every year before the lunar year celebration, major competitions, such as “Dunjingarav” are organized during the peak cold seasons for the “luck of the draw” of the year. After winter competitions were prohibited, horse races named as "spring” competition have been taking place every year, lightly and heavily injuring a total of 330-580 children in the last 3 years.
Starting this year, with the А/36 order “List of occupations prohibited to employ underage persons” approved by the Minister of Labor on February 8, 2016, the child jockeys and their rights are protected. Specifically, every year from November to May, involving children in horse races or trial races will result in a legal liability.
As such, children’s rights organization and the government have shown results by looking further into the matter. For example, “The standard on equipments for child jockeys in national horse races” was approved in 2011, demanding the child jockeys to wear a protection gear.
Department of Family, Children and Youth development have also informed that the relevant organizations have started taking care of the safety of the children, regularly monitoring the standard of the law regulations.
