Child Labor and Forced Labor Reports

Jordan

Jordan
2021 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor:

Significant Advancement

In 2021, Jordan made significant advancement in efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labor. The government enacted several amendments to the Law on the Prevention of Human Trafficking, including adding organized begging to the categories of trafficking crimes, and launched a new website for the public to submit labor complaints, which includes a dedicated channel for child soldiers. The government also amended the National Framework to Combat Child Labor to reflect the Ministry of Social Development's responsibility to protect working children as specified in Juvenile Law No. 32 of 2014. Additionally, it established a new program—Addressing the Worst Forms of Child Labor in the Agriculture Sector—that aims to reduce child labor in agriculture in rural and remote parts of Mafraq and the Jordan Valley. Moreover, the government formed an interagency committee to update the National Strategy to Combat Child Labor; the committee met six times and agreed on a draft updated strategy. However, children in Jordan are subjected to the worst forms of child labor, including in forced begging and commercial sexual exploitation, sometimes as a result of human trafficking. Children also perform dangerous tasks in agriculture. Moreover, Syrian children still face barriers to accessing education due to socioeconomic pressures, bullying, and the costs associated with transportation and supplies, among other issues. In addition, the scope of government programs is insufficient to fully address the extent of child labor, including in construction and street vending.

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