RWANDA: CHILD LABOR INFORMATION FOR TRADE AND

UNCLAS KIGALI 000029 DOL/ILAB FOR TINA MCCARTER AND DRL/ILCSR FORO TUD DANGE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ELAB EIND ETRD PHUM SOCI USAID PGOV RW SUBJECT: RWANDA: CHILD LABOR INFORMATION FOR TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT ACT (GSP) 2008 REPORT REF: 08 STATE 127448 ¶1. Post submits the following information in response to reftel request for information on child labor in Rwanda. Point of contact for further information is PolOff Jennifer ¶L. Orrico. A) Laws and regulations proscribing the worst forms of child labor: Article 28 of the Constitution guarantees every child special measures of protection by his/her family, society, and the state. The 2006 National Employment Policy affirms the right to work in just and favorable conditions, and recommends enhanced youth employment opportunities, including vocational training and development of entrepreneurship, while also calling for the elimination of child labor. Articles 363 to 378 of the penal code provide for punishment of prostitution, incitement to prostitution, exploitation of prostitution and public indecency. Law No. 27/2001 (April 28, 2001) includes provisions for the protection of the child against violence. Article 4 states that the minimum age for recruitment into the army is ¶18. Forced marriage and involvement of children in prostitution, pornography, drug trafficking and slavery are also punishable crimes under the law. This law also establishes that any sexual relations with a child under 18 are considered rape. Anyone who lives or attempts to live with a child of less than 18 as husband or wife shall be deemed to have committed rape. Under this law, the penalty for rape of a child between 14 and 18 is 20 to 25 years in prison, and life in prison for rape of a child under 14. Law No. 51/2001 establishing the labor code states that the child shall not be employed for night tasks that are unhealthy or dangerous. Articles 192 and 194 of the labor code provide for penalties against those who violate said provisions. The labor code also expressly forbids forced labor. Law No. 13/2002 (July 1, 2002) governs the armed forces and Law No. 16/2002 (August 15, 2002) establishes the minimum age for enrollment in the army. The National Policy for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (2003) outlines measures to protect children from abuse and exploitation and to provide them with access to health care, education, and economic and psychosocial support. There is no specific anti-trafficking law, but laws against slavery, prostitution by coercion, kidnapping, rape, and defilement were available to prosecute traffickers. Punitive measures include fines for those who exploit child labor. Prostitution is illegal, and punitive measures regarding prostitution include imprisonment of three months to five years for those who entice others into prostitution; imprisonment of six months to six years and a fine for those who procure prostitutes; and imprisonment of one to five years for those who financially benefit from the proceeds. The penalty for rape ranges from a minimum of 15 years imprisonment to a maximum of a life sentence if the rape results in the severe chronic disease or death of the victim. Any sexual relations with a child under 18 are considered rape, and are punishable by between 20 years to life in prison. Rape of a child resulting in severe chronic disease or death of the victim is also punishable by life imprisonment. The GOR has ratified ILO Conventions 138 and 182. Rwanda is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and has acceded to the Optional Protocols on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict and on Child Trafficking, Child Prostitution, and Child Pornography. It has also signed the African Charter on the Rights and the Welfare of the Child. Rwanda is also a signatory to the UNESCO World Declaration on Education for All, the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and the UN Resolution 48/96 on Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities. The Government of Rwanda (GOR) identified five forms of child labor as those that should be considered as the "worst forms of child labor," including domestic work outside the family sphere; agricultural activities on tea, rice, and sugar cane plantations; work in brickyards and sand extraction quarries; crushing stones; and prostitution. B) Regulations for implementation and enforcement of proscriptions against the worst forms of child labor: Civil fines and criminal penalties, including imprisonment, are available to prosecute violators of child labor laws. Some districts have established by-laws to prevent child labor. The GOR has limited resources to investigate child labor violations, but employs 30 labor inspectors, one for each of its 30 districts, in 12 regional offices. A National Advisory Committee on Child Labor comprised of various government ministries, the National Human Rights Commission, the Rwandan National Police, trade unions, and NGOs meets regularly to provide guidance and technical assistance to the government on child labor issues. Statistics on the number of investigations into child labor cases and numbers of resulting penalties were not available. The GOR offered training to police and offered community sensitization programs on child protection and trafficking issues. NGOs provided local government child development committees with training on monitoring child labor and sensitized parents and children on child labor issues through these committees. School-based programs included teacher training on child labor monitoring and counseling and the formation of student clubs to raise awareness of social issues including child labor and HIV/AIDS. C) Social programs specifically designed to prevent and withdraw children from the worst forms of child labor: The GOR collaborated with a regional NGO to withdraw or prevent children from exploitative labor through the provision of training and prevention services. Joint efforts between the GOR and NGOs directed toward street children included prevention, rehabilitation, and reintegration programs. In conjunction with NGOs, the GOR worked to develop a child poverty profile to determine which vulnerable children would have access to a social support package including health, educational, justice, and psychosocial services. The GOR supported a demobilization and reintegration program for combatants, including children. Children who had served as soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) received care and reintegration preparation from the Muhazi demobilization center for children in the Eastern Province. D) Comprehensive policy aimed at the elimination of the worst forms of child labor: The GOR has a Strategic Plan of Action for Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children as well as a National Policy for the Elimination of Child Labor. Child labor is specifically incorporated into the national Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy and child protection and development is prioritized in the Vision 2020 long-term development plan as well as in the National Investment Strategy. These strategic plans are multi-year programs, and implementation is ongoing. Article 38 of the Constitution provides for free primary education for all children. However, many parents had to pay unofficial fees to support basic school operations. E) Continual progress toward eliminating the worst forms of child labor: More than 85 percent of the Rwandan workforce is engaged in subsistence agriculture, and child labor in this sector continues. Children also worked as household domestics, as small-scale vendors, in tea plantations, and in the brick-making industry. The GOR continues to make concerted efforts to address and reduce the worst forms of child labor. Qefforts to address and reduce the worst forms of child labor. Accurate statistics on child labor changes in the past year were not available. SIM