Child Labor and Forced Labor Reports

Guyana

Guyana
2022 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor:

Minimal Advancement

In 2022, Guyana made minimal advancement in efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labor. The government funded a training program for 1,661 officials and civil society representatives on human trafficking issues and increased funding from $100 to $125 for vouchers to purchase school uniforms, shoes, and backpacks. However, children in Guyana are subjected to the worst forms of child labor, including in commercial sexual exploitation, sometimes as a result of human trafficking. Children also perform dangerous tasks in mining. Guyana does not meet the international standard for hazardous work for children because it allows children ages 16 to 17 to conduct night work in industrial activities. Guyanese law does not sufficiently prohibit all commercial sexual exploitation of children because it does not prohibit the use of children for prostitution, although it prohibits other forms of sexual exploitation of children. In addition, law enforcement agencies have insufficient resources to conduct inspections in remote areas, including a lack of transportation and accommodation, and struggle to prosecute cases even with abundant evidence. The government did not publicly release information on its labor law enforcement or criminal law enforcement efforts.

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