Government Policies and Programs to Eliminate the Worst Forms of Child Labor
In 1990, the Government of Guinea initiated an education sector reform program to increase enrolment, particularly for girls, and to improve education services.
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The reform program is on going, and the government is continuing to commit funds for educational improvements.
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UNICEF and USAID are working with the government to implement youth programs and education initiatives. UNICEF is coordinating with the Ministries of Education and Social Affairs to provide refugee children and other war-affected youth with access to education,
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while USAID is assisting the Ministry of Education to implement its primary education reforms.
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UNICEF worked with the government=s Children=s Protection Division to compile a study on the situation of women and children in Guinea.
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Incidence and Nature of Child Labor
In 1999, the ILO estimated that 31.7 percent of children between the ages of 10 and 14 years in Guinea were working.
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Children begin working beside their parents at a young age, often at 7 years.
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The majority of child labor in Guinea takes place in the domestic or informal sectors, and includes such activities as subsistence farming, petty commerce, family work, fishing, and small-scale mining.
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Children also work in gold, diamond, granite and sand mines and as apprentices to mechanics, electricians, and plumbers, among others professions.
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There are no statistical data available on the number of street children in Guinea, although children work in the streets selling cheap goods for traders, carrying baggage, or shining shoes.
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Child sexual exploitation occurs and is on the rise. Guinea is reported to be an origin and destination country for trafficking in persons for prostitution and illegal labor. Children are trafficked internationally to Senegal. Most victims of trafficking come from Mali and Benin. Internal trafficking occurs from rural to urban areas.
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Children may also serve in armed conflict, but the reports cannot be fully corroborated, because the Government of Guinea does not have a reliable birth registration system and children often do not know their exact ages.
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Primary education is compulsory for 8 years.
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In 1997, the gross primary enrollment rate was 54.4 percent and the net primary enrollment rate was 41.8 percent.
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Enrollment remains substantially lower among girls than boys. In 1997, gross female enrollment was 40.7 percent, compared to 67.7 percent for boys.
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In 1999, primary school attendance was 40 percent.
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According to USAID, one girl attends school for every two boys.
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Children, particularly girls, are kept out of school in order to assist their parents with domestic work or agriculture.
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Government resources for education are limited, there are not enough school facilities to adequately serve the population of school-age children, and the availability of school supplies and equipment is poor.
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Child Labor Laws and Enforcement
The Labor Code sets the minimum age for employment at 16 years, although children under the age of 16 can work with the consent of a parent or guardian.
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Based on the Labor Code, apprentices may begin to work at 14 years of age, with the provision that workers and apprentices under the age of 18 are not permitted to work at night or work more than 12 consecutive hours.
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The Labor Code also prohibits forced or bonded labor and hazardous work by children under 18 years.
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The government has acknowledged that the implementation and enforcement of labor legislation remains weak.
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Guinea=s Penal Code prohibits trafficking of persons, as well as the exploitation of vulnerable persons for unpaid or underpaid labor.
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The official age for voluntary recruitment or conscription into the armed forces is 18 years, although insufficient birth registration practices make the law difficult to enforce.
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Guinea has not ratified ILO Convention 138 or ILO Convention 182.
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