Child Labor and Forced Labor Reports

Armenia

Armenia
2021 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor:

Minimal Advancement – Efforts Made but Continued Law that Delayed Advancement

In 2021, Armenia made minimal advancement in efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labor. The government nearly doubled the staffing of their labor inspectorate from 27 inspectors to 50, with additional funding and intentions to hire more than 90 inspectors in the near future. The Health and Labor Inspection Body also held regular trainings for inspectors around the country and entered into an agreement with the Agricultural University to train students on labor issues, including child labor and human trafficking. However, despite new initiatives to address child labor, Armenia is receiving an assessment of minimal advancement because it continued to implement a regression in law that delays advancement in eliminating the worst forms of child labor. Labor inspectors still lack the authority to conduct unannounced inspections, despite receiving additional authority in 2021. The lack of unannounced inspections may leave potential violations of child labor laws and other labor abuses undetected in workplaces. Children in Armenia are subjected to the worst forms of child labor, including in commercial sexual exploitation, sometimes as a result of human trafficking. Children also engage in child labor in agriculture. The government does not routinely collect or maintain official data on child labor. In addition, the minimum age for work does not meet international standards because labor legislation does not apply to children working in the informal sector. Lastly, the laws criminalizing commercial sexual exploitation of children are insufficient because they do not explicitly criminalize those engaging in commercial sex involving children.

Want this report plus over a thousand pages of research in the palm of
your hand? Download ILAB's Sweat & Toil App today!