† 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

Armed conflict and several regional crises in Cameroon and neighboring countries have displaced millions of people and disrupted livelihoods and schooling. Refugee children, primarily from Nigeria and the Central African Republic, along with Cameroonian internally displaced children are more vulnerable to the worst forms of child labor. Children in the Far North Region are at higher risk of abduction and forced recruitment by non-state armed groups.

Barriers to Education Access

Many children in the Far North Region had no schooling, as Boko Haram and ISIS-WA attacks had destroyed classrooms and forced residents to flee. In addition, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that 46 percent of schools were not operational in the Northwest and Southwest Regions as of November 2023. Separatists and other criminal groups attacked and kidnapped students and teachers, often to collect ransom. The UN Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflict verified 50 attacks on schools, hospitals, and staff. In the Far North Region, 10 schools continued to be used for military purposes by the Cameroon Armed Forces (CAF) during the reporting period. Many public officials have fled crisis regions, leaving children without birth registration services and thereby making them ineligible for exams or secondary school and prone to drop out; often resorting to child labor. Additional school fees also pose a significant barrier for many families, including the cost of uniforms, instructional materials, textbooks, and Parent-Teacher Association fees to build classrooms and purchase chairs, benches, and tables. Further barriers to education include inadequate school infrastructure, including toilets and sanitation, and an insufficient number of teachers.

* Country has no conscription 
‡ Age calculated based on available information

The Decree on the Organization of Public Schools only provides 6 years of free schooling, but the international standard requires a free and compulsory education for a total of 9 years. The failure to provide for complete free basic education may increase the risk of children’s involvement in the worst forms of child labor. Cameroon does not meet the international standard for protection from commercial sexual exploitation because it does not criminalize the use of a child for prostitution or the use, offering, and procurement of a child for pornographic performances. Cameroon's human trafficking provisions do not protect children aged 16 to 18 and require threats, the use of force, or coercion to establish the crime, contrary to international standards. Further, hazardous work at dangerous heights and underwater is not prohibited for children. The government has not addressed gaps in Cameroon's legal framework regarding the prohibition of the use of children in illicit activities, including in the production and trafficking of drugs and the recruitment of children by non-state armed groups.

In 2023, although the government conducted 6,000 inspections, it is unknown how many of these were worksite labor inspections or investigations into suspected cases of the worst forms of child labor. In addition, it is also unknown whether child labor violations were found, prosecutions were initiated, or perpetrators were convicted.

For information about USDOL’s projects to address child labor around the world, visit https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/ilab-project-page-search
† Program is funded by the Government of Cameroon.
‡ The government had other social programs that may have included the goal of eliminating or preventing child labor.

Download the 2023 Bibliography