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In 2023, Guyana made moderate advancement in efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labor. The government passed the Combating and Trafficking in Persons Act No. 7, which prohibited the use, procuring and offering of children for the production or trafficking of narcotics; classified child pornography as a form of commercial sexual exploitation; and enabled higher penalties and charges if the victim of a crime is a child. It also increased its 'Because We Care' cash grant payments by 32.8 percent for all school-age children, including migrant children. In addition, it provided enforcement personnel with several trainings on child labor, including trainings on human trafficking indicators and refresher courses. However, despite these efforts, Guyana does not meet international standards for prohibition of hazardous work because it allows children ages 16 to 17 to conduct night work in industrial activities. Guyanese law does not fully prohibit all commercial sexual exploitation of children, since it does not impose harsher charges for the use of children for prostitution. In addition, Guyanese law enforcement agencies have insufficient resources for conducting inspections in remote areas, including a lack of transportation and accommodation, and difficulties in prosecuting cases promptly even with abundant evidence.
I. Prevalence and Sectoral Distribution of Child Labor| Children | Age | Percent of Population |
|---|---|---|
| Working | 5 to 14 | 10.1% |
| Hazardous Work by Children | 15 to 17 | Unavailable |
| Attending School | 5 to 14 | 96.9% |
| Combining Work and School | 7 to 14 | 18.5% |
† Determined by national law or regulation as hazardous and, as such, relevant to Article 3(d) of ILO C. 182.
‡ Child labor understood as the worst forms of child labor per se under Article 3(a)–(c) of ILO C. 182.
Children at Higher Risk
Migrants, young people from rural, impoverished, and indigenous communities, and those without education are the most at risk for human trafficking and the worst forms of child labor. Migrant children from Brazil, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Suriname, and Venezuela, including indigenous girls from Bolivar state in Venezuela, and young girls from Guyana are subjected to commercial sexual exploitation in mining communities in the interior and urban areas.
Barriers to Education Access
Children in Guyana's rural and riverine areas have limited access to education due to long distances between homes and schools, problems accessing transportation, shortages of qualified teachers, and insufficient teaching and learning materials. Rural and riverine communities also lack information technologies and have limited availability of electricity and internet connectivity, which hinders access to education in times when it needs to be provided remotely.
II. Legal Framework for Child Labor* Country has no conscription
In 2023, Guyana passed a new Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act No.7, 2023, which expanded the meaning of exploitation to include the use, procuring, or offering of a child for the production or trafficking of narcotics; clarified the prohibition against the use, procuring, or offering of a child for child pornography; and enabled higher penalties and charges if the victim of human trafficking is a child. However, Guyana's hazardous work prohibitions for children do not meet international standards because children ages 16 to 18 are permitted to perform night work in certain industrial activities. Guyanese law does not sufficiently prohibit all commercial sexual exploitation of children because it does not prohibit the use of children for prostitution. Furthermore, Guyanese law does not criminally prohibit the recruitment of children under age 18 by non-state armed groups.
III. Enforcement of Laws on Child Labor| Overview of Enforcement Efforts | 2023 |
|---|---|
| Has a Labor Inspectorate | Yes |
| Able to Assess Civil Penalties | Yes |
| Routinely Conducted Worksite Inspections | Yes |
| Unannounced Inspections Permitted | Yes |
| Has a Complaint Mechanism | Yes |
| Imposed Penalties for Child Labor Violations | Yes |
| Conducted Criminal Investigations for Worst Forms of Child Labor Crimes | Yes |
| Imposed Penalties for Worst Forms of Child Labor Crimes | Unknown |
In 2023, 20 labor inspectors conducted 3,900 worksite inspections and found 1 child labor violation. There were also 3 investigations into suspected cases of the worst forms of child labor, with 3 new prosecutions initiated, and 3 prosecutions were carried over from the previous reporting period. However, 0 perpetrators were convicted from those cases.
IV. Coordination, Policies, and ProgramsFor information about USDOL’s projects to address child labor around the world, visit https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/ilab-project-page-search
† The program is funded by the Government of Guyana.
‡ The government had other social programs that may have included the goal of eliminating or preventing child labor.
