Tajikistan
The Government of Tajikistan places emphasis on tackling and eradicating child labour in all its forms. However, there is limited statistical data and research available. Trade for Decent Work supports the Government in its initiative to collect data on child labour in the agriculture sector, particularly in the cotton subsector where hazardous work has been reported.
Tajikistan has ratified 9 out of 10 ILO Fundamental Conventions, 3 governance conventions, and 38 technical conventions.
In April 2023, Tajikistan applied for GSP+, committing to the effective implementation of 27 international conventions, including the ILO fundamental conventions.
Migration plays a crucial role in Tajikistan’s socio-economic landscape. As of 2023, more than 40% of Tajik households had at least one male member working abroad, often leaving women and children at home. Child labour remains a serious challenge in the agriculture sector, including in cotton production, where there is high exposure to hazardous work.
A systematic study of the prevalence of child labour, conducted by the ILO and the National Statistics Agency in 2012–2013, revealed that approximately 23.4% of children aged 5-17 were engaged in work- around 522,000 children. Child labour was more prevalent in rural areas (82.8%) and largely concentrated in agriculture, with smaller proportions in construction, trade, and services.
To strengthen child protection, the Government conducted a National Child Labour Survey (2023) and formulated a National Action Plan to Eliminate the Worst Forms of Child Labour (2024–2028), identifying clear actions and outputs.
Trade for Decent Work supports the Government in implementing these measures, with a particular focus on addressing child labour in the agriculture sector.
Objectives
The project contributes to Sustainable Development Goal 8 on promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment, and decent work for all, through improved labour relations and working conditions globally.
Achievements
In Tajikistan, progress in the following areas was made by the project in tackling child labour in the agriculture sector:
- The Ministry committed to reduce the list of banned occupations in the Labour Code.
- Targeted advocacy, awareness campaigns and community drives conducted to highlight the detrimental effects of child labour on education, health and well-being reached thousands and fostered public dialogue. This impacted public opinion on the issue, emphasizing the urgent need for action.
- Trainings provided across Gissar city, the Khatlon and Sughd regions strengthened community collaboration in working to combat child labour in the agriculture sector, where cotton picking creates challenges.
Activities
In Tajikistan, Trade for Decent Work prioritises the following:
- Strengthened national capacity to generate reliable, evidence-based data to inform child labour policy and targeted interventions.
- Supporting the Government to strengthen the measures to address child labour, identified in the Government’s National Action Plan 2024- 2028, with a focus on the agriculture sector.
Resources
There are no project interventions in this area yet.
Constituents effectively participate in national processes addressing gaps between national law and practice and targeted conventions
Enhancing child labour protection in the agriculture sector, particularly in cotton
Capacitating national actors to better inform policy decisions to address child labour
Action
- Training of 20 participants from relevant branches of the Government to conduct rapid assessments
- Conducting a risk assessment of workplace hazards for women who are pregnant and/or breastfeeding
Results
- Capacitated government actors to carry out qualitative assessments on child labour
- Enhanced the capacity of members of the government to inform policy decisions and practical interventions
- Bolstering the knowledge of national actors of the hazards-based approach to defining and prohibiting occupations for women who are pregnant and/or breastfeeding
Raising awareness on the worst forms of child labour, its impact and prevention
Action
- Conducted targeted advocacy, awareness and community engagement campaigns highlighting the detrimental effects of child labour on education, health and well-being
- Organized seminars for trade union leaders in regions with high child labour prevalence
- Conducted an information campaign, including social media and community outreach
- Organized information events across Gissar city, Khatlon and Sughd regions for Parent Teacher Associations
Results
- Strengthened the capacity of trade union leaders to lead localized actions to eliminate child labour
- Mobilized community members to foster sustainable reductions of child labour in high-prevalence regions
- Enhanced community knowledge of the Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No.138), and the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No.182)