Selected Child Labor Measures Adopted by Governments
| Ratified Convention 138 |
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| Ratified Convention 182 11/6/2000 |
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| ILO-IPEC Member |
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| National Plan for Children |
X |
| National Child Labor Action Plan |
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| Sector Action Plan |
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Incidence and Nature of Child Labor
UNICEF estimated that 65.5 percent of children ages 5 to 14 years were working in 2000.[921] Children work in agriculture and herding throughout the country, and as street vendors, manual laborers, and helpers in small shops.[922] There have been reports of children being contracted out to nomadic herders to tend their animals.[923] Young girls also work as domestic servants, mainly in the capital.[924] Some families arrange marriages for daughters as young as 12 or 13 years. Once married, many of these girls are obligated to work long hours in the fields or in the home for their husbands.[925] A 2003 ECPAT study estimated that many Chadian children live in the streets and often fall victim to violence, including sexual exploitation.[926]
There are reports of child trafficking in Chad, mostly internally. There were also instances of families selling their children into forced labor in farming and herding, either directly or through intermediaries, and reports that mahadjir children, who attend Islamic schools, were forced by their teachers to beg for food and money.[927]
Although in 2003, UNICEF estimated that there were approximately 600 child soldiers serving in government security forces and armed groups in the country, the number of child soldiers was believed to have decreased during 2004, and there were no additional reports of recruitment of children for use as soldiers.
Articles 35 to 38 of the Constitution of March 31, 1996 declare that all citizens are entitled to free secular education and training.[928] However, parents still must make considerable contributions toward school costs, such as books and uniforms.[929] Education is compulsory for children starting at the age of 6 years for a period of 9 years, but it is not enforced.[930] In 2001, the gross primary enrollment rate was 73.4 percent (89.9 percent for boys, 56.8 percent for girls), and the net primary enrollment rate was 58.3 percent (69.7 percent for boys, 46.8 percent for girls).[931] Gross and net enrollment ratios are based on the number of students formally registered in primary school and therefore do not necessarily reflect actual school attendance. In 1996-1997, the gross attendance rate was 54.9 percent, and the net attendance rate was 30.2 percent.[932] Educational opportunities for girls are limited, mainly due to cultural traditions; girls tend not to attend as many years of school as boys.[933] As of 1999, 54 percent of children who started primary school were likely to reach grade 5.[934]
Child Labor Laws and Enforcement
The Labor Code sets the minimum age for employment in Chad at 14 years and the minimum age for apprenticeships at 13 years, but the law is not enforced due to lack of means.[935] According to the labor law, children under 18 years are prohibited from doing work that is likely to harm their health, safety, or morals.[936] Also, children younger than 18 years are prohibited from working at night.[937] The Penal Code prohibits child trafficking and sexual exploitation,[938] and procurement for the purposes of prostitution.[939] The prostitution of children can result in a fine and imprisonment from 2 to 5 years.[940] The Constitution and the Labor Code prohibit forced and bonded labor.[941] Children must be at least 18 years old to volunteer for the armed forces and 20 years to be conscripted.[942]
Current Government Policies and Programs to Eliminate the Worst Forms of Child Labor
The Government of Chad is working with UNICEF to implement a project for children who need special protection, including victims of commercial sexual exploitation,[943] and to develop a program to reduce the prevalence of young children working in domestic service.[944] The government, UNICEF and NGOs continue to conduct campaigns against child labor,[945] and UNICEF is implementing a set of programs to promote education, especially for girls.[946]
In January 2004, representatives from Chad participated in a regional workshop on children’s rights. The workshop addressed topics including international legal standards, recruitment of children by armed groups, and unaccompanied and separated children.[947] In June 2004, Chad participated in a meeting in Nairobi that focused on ways to scale up good practices in girls’ education in Africa.[948]
With support from the World Bank, the government is implementing an Education Sector Reform Project. The project’s main objectives for improving basic education are to promote gender and geographic equity; empower communities to repair school infrastructure; enhance quality of teaching and the educational environment; and create programs for literacy, early childhood development, school health and nutrition, non-formal education, bilingual education, and interactive radio instruction.[949] The government also has a National Action Plan for Education For All that includes among its objectives ensuring free and compulsory primary education for all children, particularly girls, by 2015, and eliminating gender disparities in education.[950]
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