Child labour high in Guyana – Social Protection Ministry

A unit to focus specifically on the issue of child labour is expected to be established by the Social Protection Ministry after a recent survey has revealed an alarming high number of Guyanese children are involved in the worst forms of child labour.

The findings of the 2011 National Child Labour Rapid Assessment Survey were released by the Social Protection Ministry on Tuesday. The survey found, among other things, that children and young workers in Guyana are involved in the worst forms of child labour, including prostitution.

According to the Ministry, the study was conducted in Georgetown, New Amsterdam, Linden, Corriverton, Black Bush Polder, Number 58 Village, Charity, Kwakwani, and Ituni. It was done among three categories of children: 15 years and younger; 15 to 16, and 16 to 18. A total of 532 children and young workers were involved in the survey, which was done during the period April 4 to 15, 2011.

During the survey, the enumerator spent one week focusing on child labourers who were involved in daytime and night activities. The night visits were done at hotels, nightspots and places where child labour activities were deemed prevalent.

The findings released by the Ministry detailed that many of the youths who participated in the research in all three categories, were involved in selling and agricultural activities. It was also highlighted that hidden evidence of prostitution activities were found in all of the age ranges.

Additionally, another troubling fact was that a small percentage of the children and working youths sustained illness and injuries while working. “These occurred while the children and young workers were involved mainly weeding, begging or carrying out sexual activities. Also found was many children and young workers involved in carrying heavy loads and operating machinery. Some were also exposed to all-weather conditions, chemicals, pesticides, glues, dust, fumes and gases at their places of work,” the Ministry stated.

Furthermore, it was noted that most of the households that the children and working youths were from were headed by single females who had more than one dependant and most times more than one working child.

The release added that guardians/parents reported the main reason for the children and young individuals working was to help support their families.

According to the study, 67 per cent of the children in the 15 years and younger category were males, with 40 per cent of this age group not in school and 36 per cent of them employed on a full-time basis. One primary level child in this group had never attended school, the report stated.

In the second category, 15 to 16 years, 77 per cent of the child labourers were males, with 49 per cent of them not in school. While a significant per cent of the children in both categories (19 per cent and 23 per cent respectively) were involved in rice farming, eight per cent of them in both groups were involved in prostitution and stripping.

Interestingly, among the older working individuals (16 to 18 years), one per cent was involved in sex work with the majority (40 per cent) being involved in retailing. During the 12 months prior to the survey, 12 per cent of the working children and young workers suffered illnesses and 42 per cent said the injuries were work related. Of that number, 49 per cent had to stop school to recuperate.

The younger children, the survey outlined, were paid Gy$6000 per week and worked mostly for less than 32 hours per week, while the older children (16 to 18) worked for Gy$8000 weekly but for longer hours. Moreover, it should be noted that not all of the children in the younger age group were paid.

In light of these troubling findings, the Social Protection Ministry has detailed some actions to be taken to tackle the issue. “While the findings of the survey are troubling to say the least, the Government of Guyana, through the Ministry of Social Protection, will take urgent steps to address this problem since were aware of the debilitating effects of child labour. Our nation’s children and youths are our future and they should be provided with the best possible opportunities to ensure they achieve their full potential,” the release stated.

In addition to the establishment of the Unit, which will be expected to create strategies to address this phenomenon, including the poverty factor, other planned measures include: enforcement of the requisite laws that cover child labour; removing working children off the streets and ensuring they are in school; and providing more funding to facilitate labour inspections.