Selected Child Labor Measures Adopted by Governments
| Ratified Convention 138 |
|
| Ratified Convention 182 3/28/2001 |
X |
| ILO-IPEC Member |
X |
| National Plan for Children |
|
| National Child Labor Action Plan |
|
| Sector Action Plan |
|
Incidence and Nature of Child Labor
The ILO estimated that 12.4 percent of children ages 10 to 14 years were working in Gabon in 2002.[1622] Children are trafficked into the country from Benin, Nigeria, and Togo.[1623] Children from Benin and Togo, particularly girls, are found working as domestic servants and in the informal commercial sector. Nigerian children are found working as mechanics.[1624] Children are also reported to be trafficked into Gabon from Equatorial Guinea.[1625] Children who are purchased in Benin, Togo and Mali for as little as USD 14 may be sold to commercial farms in Gabon and Côte d’Ivoire for up to USD 340.[1626]
A social practice known as “placement” is also reported to be a problem. According to tradition, poor families send their children to more affluent homes where the children receive an education in exchange for performing various services for their host families. However, the practice has degenerated, and placed children are allegedly trafficked or subjected to commercial sexual exploitation.[1627]
Education is compulsory for children ages 6 to 16 years under the Education Act,[1628] but students must pay for expenses such as books, uniforms, and school supplies.[1629] The government has used oil revenue for school construction, paying teachers’ salaries, and promoting education, including in rural areas.[1630] In 2001, the gross primary enrollment rate was 134.4 percent, and in 2000 the net primary enrollment rate was 78.3 percent.[1631] 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 2000, the gross primary attendance rate was 141.3 percent and the net primary attendance rate was 92.2 percent.[1632] According to the government, over 40 percent of students drop out before they complete the last year of primary school.[1633] Problems in the education system include poor management and planning, lack of oversight, a shortage of teaching material, poorly qualified teachers, overcrowded classes, and a curriculum that is not always relevant to students’ needs.[1634]
Child Labor Laws and Enforcement
The Labor Code prohibits children below 16 years from working without the consent of the Ministries of Labor, Education, and Public Health.[1635] The employment of children in jobs that are unsuitable for them due to their age, state, or condition, or that prevent them from receiving compulsory education is also prohibited.[1636] Children under 18 years are prohibited from working at night in industrial establishments, except in family enterprises.[1637] Forced labor is forbidden by the Labor Code.[1638]
The Criminal Code prohibits procurement of a minor for the purpose of prostitution, which is punishable by imprisonment for 2 to 5 years and a fine of CFA 100,000 to 2,000,000 (USD 192 to 3,830).[1639] Gabonese law prohibits the seduction, procurement, or trafficking in persons for the purpose of prostitution.[1640]
There is no law specifically prohibiting trafficking in persons.[1641] Pursuant to the Criminal Code, accomplices and instigators in child trafficking are subject to the same penalties as the prime offenders.[1642] Child trafficking has also been included in the Penal Code as an offense.[1643]
Minimum age laws were strictly enforced in urban areas among citizen children, but rarely enforced in rural areas.[1644] While the Labor Code is intended to cover all children, in practice it is enforced only in situations involving Gabonese children, and not those who are foreign-born, many of whom work in domestic service or in marketplaces.[1645] The Ministry of Justice is responsible for the enforcement of child labor laws, while the Ministry of Labor is charged with receiving, investigating, and addressing child labor complaints.[1646] However, the U.S. Department of State reported that the number of labor inspectors was reported to be inadequate, complaints were not routinely investigated, and violations were not effectively addressed.[1647]
Current Government Policies and Programs to Eliminate the Worst Forms of Child Labor
The Government of Gabon is one of nine countries participating in a USDOL-funded ILO-IPEC project to combat the trafficking of children for exploitative labor in West and Central Africa.[1648]
UNICEF has carried out several awareness-raising activities on child trafficking, including workshops and seminars, radio and television messages, and posters,[1649] and has trained police officers and labor inspectors on identifying child trafficking victims and traffickers.[1650] The government regularly hosts regional conferences on cross-border child trafficking.[1651]
The government, in collaboration with UNICEF, operates a toll-free hotline for child trafficking victims. The call center provides trafficking victims with free transportation to a shelter. The government also operates a shelter for trafficking victims, and an inter-ministerial committee works to combat trafficking in persons.[1652]
In January 2004, representatives from Gabon participated in a regional workshop held in Kinshasa on children’s rights. The workshop addressed topics including international legal standards, recruitment of children by armed groups, and unaccompanied and separated children.[1653]
The government has adopted a National Plan of Action for Education for All to improve access and quality of education, and a subsequent plan to reduce repetition rates, particularly among girls.[1654] In June 2004, Gabon participated in a meeting in Nairobi that focused on ways to scale up good practices in girls’ education in Africa.[1655]
|
