Child Labor and Forced Labor Reports

Honduras

Coffee
Coffee
Child Labor Icon
Lobsters
Lobsters
Child Labor Icon
Melons
Melons
Child Labor Icon
Honduras
2021 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor:

Significant Advancement

In 2021, Honduras made significant advancement in efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labor. The government established a new legal protocol to improve local community coordination on child labor issues and increased penalties for forced labor under the Penal Code from 5 to 8 years’ imprisonment to 10 to 15 years. The government also established the Roadmap for the Elimination of Child Labor in Honduras (2021–2025), which seeks to identify risk factors for vulnerability to child labor, raise awareness of child labor laws, and establish a protocol for responding to child labor violations. Furthermore, government agencies conducted multiple joint inspections targeting child labor throughout the country, and the Ministry of Education launched a new learning management system to address gaps in education caused by the pandemic. However, children in Honduras are subjected to the worst forms of child labor, including in commercial sexual exploitation, sometimes as a result of human trafficking. They are also used to carry out illicit activities, including selling and trafficking drugs. Children also engage in child labor in the production of coffee, melons, and lobsters. Labor law enforcement agencies lack the financial and human resources necessary to fulfill their mandate. Additionally, social programs that address child labor in agriculture have not addressed the problem nationwide. The government also lacks similar programs to eliminate child labor in other sectors, including fishing, mining, domestic work, and forced begging.

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