Zambia
Selected Child Labor Measures Adopted by Governments
| Ratified Convention 138 02/09/1976 |
X |
| Ratified Convention 182 12/10/2001 |
X |
| ILO-IPEC Member |
X |
| National Plan for Children |
|
| National Child Labor Action Plan |
|
| Sector Action Plan |
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Incidence and Nature of Child Labor
The Zambian Central Statistics Office estimated that 11.6 percent of children ages 5 to 14 years in Zambia were working in 1999.[4283] The highest rates of child work are found in the agricultural sector.[4284] Children can also be found working in commerce, various business and personal service occupations, fisheries, and manufacturing.[4285] Children also reportedly work in the informal sector in domestic service, the hospitality industry, and transportation. It is not uncommon to find children working in hazardous industries and occupations, including stone crushing and construction.[4286]
Because HIV/AIDS claims the lives of many adults in the country, a growing number of orphans have been forced to migrate to urban areas, increasing the population of street children. In order to survive, many orphans engage in various forms of work.[4287] Street children are especially vulnerable to commercial sexual exploitation, and the problem of child prostitution is widespread in Zambia.[4288] Zambia is a source and transit country for women and children trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation.[4289]
Although the government has a policy of free education for the first 9 years of elementary school, there are no legal guarantees of access to education in Zambia.[4290] The government continues to prohibit uniform requirements and the collection of school fees for grades one through seven.[4291] Nevertheless, inadequate educational facilities and a scarcity of educational materials are problems, and education remains inaccessible for many families.[4292] In 2001, the gross primary enrollment rate was 78.7 percent, and the net primary enrollment rate was 66.0 percent.[4293] As of 2000, 76.8 percent of children who started primary school were likely to reach grade 5.[4294] Enrollment rates for boys and girls are approximately equal in primary school, but fewer girls attend secondary school.[4295] 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 1999, it was estimated that approximately 24 percent of working children combined work with school.[4296]
Child Labor Laws and Enforcement
The Constitution establishes 15 as the minimum age for employment.[4297] The Employment of Young Persons and Children Act of 1933 prohibits children up to the age of 18 from engaging in hazardous work.[4298] In August 2004, the Zambian Parliament passed the Employment of Young Persons and Children Bill, which recognizes the ILO Convention on Minimum Age and the ILO Convention on Worst Forms of Child Labor.[4299] Although Zambia does not have a comprehensive trafficking law, the Constitution prohibits forced labor and trafficking of children under 15 years and the new 2004 Bill specifically prohibits trafficking of children and young persons under eighteen.[4300] The government has also banned street vending to reduce child labor in the activity.[4301]
The Ministry of Labor and Social Security (MLSS) is responsible for enforcing labor laws and has established a Child Labor Unit to specifically address issues relating to child labor.[4302] To carry out this function, the MLSS conducts monthly inspections of workplaces.[4303] Although resources for investigations have generally not been considered adequate, the government increased the MLSS budget for child labor activities from USD 12,000 to USD 115,000 in 2004.[4304]
Current Government Policies and Programs to Eliminate the Worst Forms of Child Labor
The government is implementing a number of initiatives to combat child labor, including programs to rehabilitate street children and to provide vocational training for older youth.[4305] The government also continues to undertake awareness raising activities to sensitize law makers, teachers, and trade union officials.[4306] In addition, the government has sponsored efforts to raise awareness about child domestic labor, such as radio programs and drama group presentations in local communities.[4307]
USDOL and the Zambian Ministry of Education are collaborating on an education project in areas with a high incidence of child labor. The project is being implemented in Zambia by American Institutes for Research and Jesus Cares Ministries.[4308] The government also participates in several USDOL-funded ILO-IPEC initiatives, including a regional capacity building program and a regional commercial agriculture sector program.[4309] In addition, Zambia is included in a regional ILO-IPEC program that addresses child labor in the industrial and service sectors of urban areas.[4310]
The Government of Zambia’s national policy on education, “Educating Our Future,” focuses primarily on making curricula for basic education more relevant, promoting partnerships and cost sharing, and improving school management.[4311] With support from various donor groups, the government began implementing a national plan for universal primary education called the Basic Education Sub-Sector Investment Program (BESSIP).[4312] In addition to these activities, the Ministry of Education is implementing a program to combat child labor that includes policy coordination, curriculum review, and awareness-raising activities.[4313]
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