Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor - Tanzania

Child Labor and Forced Labor Reports

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Tanzania

Cloves

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Gold

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Sisal

Tanzanite (gems)

Tea

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Cattle

Rice

Stones

2023 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor:

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Swahili

Moderate Advancement

In 2023, the United Republic of Tanzania made moderate advancement in efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labor. The government approved and began implementing an updated National Strategy on Elimination of Child Labor and conducted a baseline assessment of child labor policies and practices of companies involved in major agricultural supply chains. In addition, the government funded community dialogues and a television public awareness campaign on countering trafficking in persons. However, gaps remain in the legal framework and enforcement of laws related to child labor, including the lack of penalties for use of children in illicit activities, the lack of minimum age protections for children engaged in domestic work, and an insufficient number of labor inspectors to monitor Tanzania's labor force.

**Statistics on Children's Work and Education**
Children	Age	Percent of Population
Working	5 to 14	20.4% (3,345,516)
Hazardous Work by Children	15 to 17	Unavailable
Attending School	5 to 14	83.5%
Combining Work and School	7 to 14	18.4%

**Working Children by Sector, Ages 5-14**
Sectory/Industry	Percent of Population
Agriculture	84.8%
Industry	0.6%
Services	14.5%

**Overview of Children's Work by Sector and Activity**

Children in Tanzania are subjected to the worst forms of child labor, including in forced labor in mining, quarrying, and domestic work. Children also perform dangerous tasks in agriculture.
Sector/Industry	Activity
Agriculture	Working in agriculture, including plowing, weeding,† harvesting,† and processing of crops, including cloves, coffee, rice, sisal, tea, and tobacco; fishing† of Nile perch; and herding of livestock, including cattle.
Industry	Mining,† including gold and tanzanite, and using mercury, and quarrying† for production of stone.
Services	Domestic work, working in bars,† and street work, including vending,† shining shoes, and scavenging.†
Categorical Worst Forms of Child Labor‡	Forced labor in domestic work, tobacco farming, fishing, mining, quarrying, street begging, street activities such as shining shoes and pushing carts, and working in factories and bars, as well as commercial sexual exploitation, sometimes as a result of human trafficking.

† 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

Human traffickers exploit migrant children, particularly from Burundi, in domestic work and commercial sexual exploitation. Refugee children living in Tanzania are also increasingly subjected to commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor in farming in western Tanzania. In addition, children from underserved communities, particularly impoverished orphans and children with disabilities from rural areas, are frequently subjected to forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation.

Barriers to Education Access

Schools, particularly in rural areas, lack adequate teachers, classrooms and desks, and sanitation facilities, and families are often required to financially contribute to offset these deficits and pay for the costs of uniforms and learning materials. Schools are also not sufficiently equipped to serve children with disabilities and learning difficulties. In 2021, the government reversed its longstanding practice of expelling girls who became pregnant from school. However, girls can still be removed from school during the duration of their pregnancy, which reduces the likelihood that they will return to education.

**Laws and Regulations on Child Labor**

Tanzania has ratified all key international conventions concerning child labor. However, Tanzania’s laws do not meet international standards on the minimum age for work, compulsory education, and free basic education.
Standard	Age	Meets International Standards	Legislation
Minimum Age for Work	14	✗	Articles 5 and 102 of the Employment and Labor Relations Act; Article 77 of the Law of the Child Act
Minimum Age for Hazardous Work	18	✓	Articles 5 and 102 of the Employment and Labor Relations Act; Article 82 of the Law of the Child Act
Identification of Hazardous Occupations or Activities Prohibited for Children		✓	Article 5 and First Schedule of Regulations of the Employment and Labor Relations Act; Article 82 of the Law of the Child Act
Prohibition of Slavery, Debt Bondage, and Forced Labor		✓	Article 6 of the Employment and Labor Relations Act; Articles 80 and 81 of the Law of the Child Act; Article 25 of the Constitution; Articles 3, 4 and 5 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act
Prohibition of Child Trafficking		✓	Articles 3, 4 and 5 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act; Articles 80-81 of the Law of the Child Act
Prohibition of Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children		✓	Article 138.2.f of the Sexual Offenses Special Provisions Act; Articles 3, 4 and 5 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act; Section 83 of the Law of the Child Act
Prohibition of Using Children in Illicit Activities		✗
Minimum Age for Voluntary State Military Recruitment	18	✓	Article 29 of the National Defense Act
Prohibition of Compulsory Recruitment of Children by (State) Military		N/A*
Prohibition of Military Recruitment by Non-state Armed Groups		✗
Compulsory Education Age	13	✗	Article 35 of the National Education Act
Free Public Education		✗

*Country has no conscription

Although the Mainland government has a list of hazardous work activities for children, the types of hazardous work prohibited for children do not cover work in weeding and processing in the production of tobacco, cloves, coffee, sisal, and tea; an area of work where there is evidence of work in unhealthy environments and the use of dangerous equipment and tools. The Mainland government also does not stipulate penalties for using children for illicit activities, including in the production and trafficking of drugs. In addition, minimum age for work laws in Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar do not meet international standards because they do not extend to all working children, including children engaged in domestic work. Furthermore, as the compulsory education age in both the Mainland and Zanzibar is below the minimum age for work, children are vulnerable to child labor because they are not required to attend school but are not legally permitted to work. The Mainland also lacks a legal standard mandating free basic education for children, though it supports free basic education through a policy. However, the National Education Act authorizes local education authorities to assess school fees at their discretion, which may contravene any future legal standards to provide free basic education.

**Agencies Responsible for Child Labor Law Enforcement**

In 2023, labor and criminal law enforcement agencies in Tanzania took actions to address child labor. However, insufficient human resource allocation and budgetary resources for the child labor complaint mechanism hindered enforcement efforts.
Organization/Agency \| Role & Activities
The Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office for Policy, Labor, Employment, Youth, and the Disabled (PLEYD): Assigns area labor officers in each region to respond to reports of child labor violations, issues non-compliance orders, and reports incidents to police and the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly, and Children. Through its Labor Administration and Inspection Section, provides legal guidance upon request, disseminates information to employers and employees on their rights and obligations, and helps area offices conduct labor inspections. Coordinates with the Ministry of Community Development, Gender, Women, and Special Groups, which employs officers to monitor child labor at the district and village levels and reports back to PLEYD. In Zanzibar, the Zanzibar Labor Commission ensures compliance with child protection and child labor laws, including inspections, through its Child Protection Unit and employs 10 labor inspectors who investigate child labor cases reported by the police and refers cases to social welfare officers.
Ministry of Home Affairs and Tanzanian Police Force: Chairs the Anti-Trafficking Secretariat, which coordinates the government’s anti-trafficking efforts. The Tanzanian Police Force, through its Gender and Children's desks, investigates cases of child labor and other forms of child endangerment reported to police stations.

**Enforcement Mechanisms and Efforts**
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	No
Conducted Criminal Investigations for Worst Forms of Child Labor Crimes	Unknown
Imposed Penalties for Worst Forms of Child Labor Crimes	No

In 2023, 94 labor inspectors conducted 14,000 worksite inspections, identifying 38 violations of child labor. It is unknown whether investigations into the worst forms of child labor were conducted or whether prosecutions were initiated, although 0 perpetrators were convicted.

**Key Mechanism to Coordinate Government Efforts on Child Labor**

Tanzania established a mechanism to coordinate its efforts to address child labor. However, gaps exist that hinder the effective coordination of efforts to address child labor, including a lack of reported activities.
Coordinating Body \| Role & Activities
National Education Task Force on Child Labor: Reviews existing laws, regulations, and strategies related to children’s issues, including the National Strategy on the Elimination of Child Labor. Evaluates educational curriculum and programs, identifies gaps, and suggests strategies to resolve barriers to accessing education. The government did not provide information about activities undertaken by the Task Force in 2023.

**Key Policies Related to Child Labor**

Tanzania established policies related to child labor. However, an education policy may adversely impact child labor. However, an education policy may prohibit children from continuing their education, making them vulnerable to child labor.
Policy \| Description & Activities
National Strategy on Elimination of Child Labor (2023–2027):† Coordinates prevention and responses to the worst forms of child labor at the national level. In 2023, the government adopted and began implementing the National Strategy, and will formally launch the policy in June 2024.

† Policy was approved during the reporting period.
‡ The government has other policies that may have addressed child labor issues or had an impact on child labor.

**Key Social Programs to Address Child Labor**

Tanzania funded and participated in programs that include the goal of eliminating or preventing child labor. However, these social programs are inadequate to address the problem in all sectors in which child labor has been identified, including domestic work, fishing, and the informal sector.
Program \| Description & Activities
Tanzania Social Action Fund Conditional Cash Transfer Program:† Government-funded conditional cash transfer program to provide financial assistance to vulnerable populations, including children. Also manages Zanzibar's Productive Social Safety Net fund, which provides conditional cash transfers to 33,523 households experiencing extreme poverty and other vulnerabilities to child labor. Research was unable to determine whether activities were undertaken to implement the Tanzania Social Action Fund Conditional Cash Transfer Program during the reporting period.
Rural Enterprise Support to Eliminate Child Labor: Project implemented by the Eliminating Child Labor in Tobacco Growing Foundation that aims to support farmers and reduce child labor in Chunya, Kaliua, Sikonge, and Urambo districts. In 2023, 1,835 people were reached during the project to raise awareness of child labor in local communities, and sensitization interventions were conducted for 1,900 children and youth.

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 Tanzania.
‡ The government had other social programs that may have included the goal of eliminating or preventing child labor.

**Suggested Government Actions to Eliminate Child Labor**

The suggested government actions below would close gaps USDOL has identified in Tanzania's implementation of its international commitments to eliminate the worst forms of child labor.
Area	Suggested Action
Legal Framework	Expand the list of hazardous occupations and activities prohibited for children to include weeding and processing in the production of tobacco, cloves, coffee, sisal, and tea.
	Criminalize the use of children in illicit activities, particularly in the production and trafficking of drugs.
	Criminalize the recruitment of children under age 18 by non-state armed groups.
	Extend the minimum age protections so that they apply to all children, including those engaged in domestic work.
	Increase the compulsory education age from age 13 to age 14 to align with the minimum age for work.
	Establish by law free basic public education and remove legal authority of local education authorities to assess discretionary education fees.
Enforcement	Increase budgetary resources for the child labor complaint mechanism so that it can fully carry out its operations.
	Increase financial and material resources, including office facilities, transportation, and fuel, for the labor inspectorate, and increase the number of labor inspectors from 87 to 643 to ensure adequate coverage of the labor force of approximately 25.7 million workers.
	Develop a mechanism for the centralized collection and publication of data related to the worst forms of child labor, including the number of investigations and imposed penalties for violations.
	Ensure that the number of labor inspections conducted is commensurate to the size of the labor inspectorate to maintain adequate quality and scope of inspections.
	Publish information on criminal law enforcement efforts related to the worst forms of child labor, including the number of investigations, prosecutions, and convictions.
Coordination	Ensure that the National Education Task Force on Child Labor is able to carry out its intended mandates.
Government Policies	Eliminate provisions in the Primary School Leaving Examination that prohibit children who initially fail the exam from retaking it for consideration in secondary school admission.
Social Programs	Facilitate reenrollment of girls who leave school during pregnancy.
	Make education accessible to all children in Tanzania, including those living in rural areas, by ensuring adequate resources for children with disabilities and learning disorders; increasing resources for teachers, classrooms and desks, food, and sanitation facilities; and defraying informal costs imposed on families, including school uniforms, books, and other learning materials.
	Harmonize child labor prevention and elimination measures into the Social Action Fund Conditional Cash Transfer Program to increase its effectiveness.
	Undertake activities to implement the Tanzania Social Action Fund Conditional Cash Transfer Program and make information about implementation measures publicly available.
	Develop programs that include children engaged in child labor in the domestic work, fishing, and informal sectors.

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