Country profile JAM
Context
Context
| Year | Age group | Proportion | Gender | Indicator | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 5-17 | 3 | Male | Proportion of children engaged in economic activity, by sex and age (%) | UN SDG Indicators Database |
| 2022 | 5-17 | 2.1 | Female | Proportion of children engaged in economic activity, by sex and age (%) | UN SDG Indicators Database |
| 2022 | 5-17 | 2.6 | Male & Female | Proportion of children engaged in economic activity, by sex and age (%) | UN SDG Indicators Database |
| 2022 | 5-17 | 3.9 | Male | Proportion of children engaged in economic activity and household chores, by sex and age (%) | UN SDG Indicators Database |
| 2022 | 5-17 | 3.3 | Female | Proportion of children engaged in economic activity and household chores, by sex and age (%) | UN SDG Indicators Database |
| 2022 | 5-17 | 3.6 | Male & Female | Proportion of children engaged in economic activity and household chores, by sex and age (%) | UN SDG Indicators Database |
National Legal Framework
National Legal Framework
| Provision | Legislation date | Convention | Legislation info | Value | sort_order | Provision description | Legislation description | sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Is the sale and trafficking of children for sexual and labour exploitation prohibited? | 2004-03-26 | C182 | Child Care and Protection Act - Section 10 | Yes | 8 | C182 defines all forms of slavery or practices similar to slavery, such as the sale and trafficking of children, debt bondage and serfdom and forced or compulsory labour as worst forms of child labour. | Section 10 of the Act prohibits the trafficking of children. | - |
| Minimum age for admission to apprenticeship | 1959-11-02 | C138 | Apprenticeship Act - Section 3 | 15 | 5 | C138 does not apply to work done in school for general, vocational or technical education or in training institutions or work done by children at least 14 years of age in undertakings, where such work is carried out in accordance with conditions prescribed by the competent authority. Such work must be an integral part of: (i) a course of education or training for which a school or training institution is primarily responsible; (ii) a programme of training mainly or entirely in an undertaking, which programme has been approved by the competent authority; or (iii) a programme of guidance or orientation designed to facilitate the choice of an occupation or of a line of training. | Section 3 of the Act sets the minimum age for admission to apprenticeship to 15 years. | - |
| Is the minimum age for admission to work not less than the age for completion of compulsory schooling? | 1965 | C138 | Law of Education | Yes | 4 | C138 requires that the minimum age for admission to work shall not be less than the age of completion of compulsory schooling and, in any case, shall not be less than 15 years. | According to the Education Law, the age of compulsory schooling is set at 15 years, thereby aligning with the minimum age for employment. | - |
| Light work - Determination of types and conditions of activities | 2004-03-26 | C138 | Child Care and Protection Act - Section 34 | N/A | 3 | If the country chooses to allow light work, States must determine what activities are considered light work, and the hours and the circumstances under which they may be carried out. | Section 34 of the Child Care and Protection Act permits the employment of a child between 13 and 15 years of age in an occupation included in a list of prescribed occupations, consisting of light work considered appropriate by the minister, and specifying the number of hours during which and the conditions under which such a child may be so employed. However, in an Observation published in 2024, the Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations (CEACR) notes with concern that the Light Work List, and amendments to the Child Care and Protection Act relating to registers of employment, has yet not been adopted. | [{"link_name":"Source1","source_link":"https://normlex.ilo.org/dyn/nrmlx_en/f?p=NORMLEXPUB:13100:0::NO::P13100_COMMENT_ID%2CP13100_COUNTRY_ID:4327654%2C103236"}] |
| List of hazardous activities prohibited for children | N/A | C138 & C182 | N/A | No | 7 | C138 and C182 require the national determination of a list of hazardous work prohibited for children under 18 years of age. The competent authorities should consult with workers' and employers' organizations to determine what types of employment or work are considered to be hazardous. Such a list shall be periodically examined and revised as necessary. | In an Observation published in 2024, the CEACR observes that the Hazardous Work List is still being amended, following consultation with stakeholders, and based on feedback received. It notes with concern that the Hazardous Work List has yet not been adopted. | - |
| Minimum age for hazardous work | 2004-03-26 | C138 & C182 | Child Care and Protection Act - Section 2.1 and 34. 3 | 18 | 6 | C138 and C182 set 18 as the minimum age for hazardous work, which is defined as work that, due to its nature or the circumstances in which it is carried out, is likely to jeopardize children’s health, safety or morals. C138 and C182 allow countries to permit hazardous work exceptionally as from 16, provided that the health, safety and morals of the young persons concerned are fully protected and that they have received adequate specific instruction or training. | While Section 2.1 of the Act defines a child as a person aged less than 18 years, Section 34.3 states that no person shall employ a child in the performance of any work that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the child's education or to be harmful the child's health or physical, mental, spiritual or social development; or in night work or an industrial undertaking. | - |
| Is the use, procuring or offering of children for illicit activities, in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs, prohibited? | 2014-04-07 | C182 | Criminal Justice (Suppression of Criminal Organizations) Act - Section 4. | Yes | 11 | C182 prohibits the use, procuring or offering of children for illicit activities in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs. | Section 4. of the Act stipulates that a person shall not recruit a child to be a part of or participate in a criminal organization. | - |
| Is forced or compulsory recruitment of children under 18 for use in armed conflict prohibited? | 1962-07-31 | C182 | Defense Act - Section 18. (2) | Yes | 9 | C182 defines forced or compulsory recruitment of children under 18 for use in armed conflict as a worst form of child labour. Nevertheless, C182 only prohibits the forced or compulsory recruitment of children under 18, and does not cover the voluntary recruitment of children under 18. | Section 18. (2) of the Defense Act forbids the enlistement of children aged less than 18 years in the Regular force unless consent to the enlistement has been given in writting. | - |
| Minimum age for light work | 2004-03-26 | C138 | Child Care and Protection Act - Section 34 (1) | 13 | 2 | C138 defines light work as work that does not interfere with children’s schooling, or their ability to benefit from it, and that is not hazardous. C138 allows countries to permit light work for children younger than the general minimum age. For countries that set the minimum age at 15, this means children aged 13-14, and for those that set it at 14, children aged 12-13 may engage in light work. | Section 34 (1) of the Act sets the minimum age for admission to light work to 13 years. | - |
| Minimum age for admission to work | 2004-03-26 | C138 | Child Care and Protection Act - Section 34 (1) | 15 | 1 | C138 establishes 15 as the minimum age for work in general. Developing countries have the option of setting a minimum age of 14 as a transitional measure as they strengthen their education systems and economies. | Section 34 (1) of the Act sets the minimum age for admission to work to 15 years. | - |
| Is the use, procuring or offering of a child for the purpose of prostitution and for production of pornography prohibited? | 2009-10-20 ; 2009-10-20 | C182 | Child Pornography (Prevention) Act - Section 3. and 4. ; Sexual Offenses Act - Section 18 | Yes | 10 | C182 prohibits the use of a child under the age of 18 for prostitution, regardless of the child's consent. The use, procuring or offering of any person under the age of 18 for commercial sexual exploitation constitutes a worst form of child labour, even if prostitution is a legalised. In regard to the prohibition of child pornography, States need to make sure that national legislation addresses the involvement of a child in the production of pornographic materials, including non-recorded performances. | Section 3. and Section 4. of the Child Pornography (Prevention) Act prohibit, respectively, the using or involving of a child in the production of child pornography and the producing and distributing of child pornography. For its part, Section 18 of the Sexual Offenses Act states that "A person commits an offence who procures or attempts to procure any other person who is a child, to have sexual intercourse with or engage in an act of grievous sexual assault with any other person or persons either within or outside Jamaica; to become, either within or outside Jamaica, a male or to leave Jamaica, with the intent that the other person shall become a male or female prostitute, or an inmate of, or frequent a house of prostitution; or to leave the other person's usual place of abode in Jamaica (such place not being a house of prostitution), with intent that the other person may, for the purposes of prostitution, become an inmate of or frequent a house of prostitution within or outside of Jamaica". | - |
International Legal Framework
International Legal Framework
| Ratification status | Convention | Convention description | Date of ratification | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| in-force | C182 | Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) | 13-OCT-2003 | Source |
| in-force | C138 | Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) | 13-OCT-2003 | Source |
Policies and Plans
Policies and Plans
| Description | sources | Period | Policy name | Implementing agency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| To create and maintain a protective environment, supportive of and responsive to the issues of children and violence, the NAPCV identified several key objectives, including : Strengthened policy, legal and regulatory framework to ensure the protection of children from all forms of violence and exploitation; Improved quality of, and access to, services for children affected by violence; Strengthened family and community capacities to address issues related to children and violence; Enhanced public education sensitisation and training in violence prevention, the care of child victims of violence, and children’s rights; Integrated framework established for the effective coordination, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the NPACV. | [{"link_name":"NPACV","source_link":"https://moey.gov.jm/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/National-Plan-of-Action-for-an-Integrated-Response-to-Children-and-Violence-NPACV-tabled_2019-3.pdf"}] | 2018-2023 | National Plan of Action for an Integrated Response to Children and Violence(NPACV) | Ministry of Education, Youth and Information |
| In an Observation published in 2024, the CEACR notes that, in response to its previous comments regarding the challenges faced by the labour inspectorate in monitoring the informal economy, the Government continues to engage in the training of the labour inspectorate to better aid inspectors in identifying and reporting cases of child labour. This is also done in the framework of the Transition to Formality Action Plan for Household Workers and Fisher Folks (TFAP) 2021–24, which among its key strategies includes: (1) the improvement of the capacity of staff within the Ministry of Labour and Social Security to undertake inspections in the sectors in question, not being limited to commercial buildings and factories; and (2) building awareness for the elimination of child labour in household work and the fishing industry. | [{"link_name":"CEACR Observation","source_link":"https://normlex.ilo.org/dyn/nrmlx_fr/f?p=1000:13100:0::NO::P13100_COMMENT_ID,P13100_LANG_CODE:4327654,en:NO"}] | 2021-2024 | Transition to Formality Action Plan for Household Workers and Fisher Folks (TFAP) | No information |
| In an Observation published in 2024, the CEACR notes that, according to Jamaica’s national report of 18 August 2020 submitted to the United Nations Human Rights Council in the context of the Universal Periodic Review (A/HRC/WG.6/36/JAM/1, para. 101), the National Plan of Action (NPA) on Child Labour was developed in 2019, in the context of the Country Level Engagement and Assistance to Reduce Child Labour II (CLEAR II) project. The CLEAR II project is a four-year United States Department of Labor (USDOL)-funded project that aims to support a global reduction in child labour. The National Plan of Action aimed to achieve the following key goals: Create a comprehensive information system that incorporates quantitative and qualitative information on child labour in Jamaica to be used for policy and programme development; Withdraw and rehabilitate children from hazardous work and prevent others from engaging in child labour; Enhance awareness of the complex problems associated with child labour that will affect social attitudes towards children and their educational rights; Strengthen the relevant institutions of the Government of Jamaica and Civil Society, to enforce Child Labour Laws as well as develop and implement policies and programmes toward the prevention of Child Labour. | [{"link_name":"CEACR Observation","source_link":"https://normlex.ilo.org/dyn/nrmlx_en/f?p=1000:13100:0::NO:13100:P13100_COMMENT_ID,P13100_COUNTRY_ID:4327654,103236"}] | 2019 | National Plan of Action on Child Labour | Ministry of Labour and Social Services |
| In an Observation published in 2021, the Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations (CEACR) noted the establishment of the National Task Force Against Trafficking in Persons (NATFATIP) for the effective implementation of the National Plan of Action for Combating Trafficking in Persons; various awareness-raising measures taken to prevent trafficking as well as trainings and sensitization programmes provided to prosecutors, investigators, judges, labour inspectors, social workers and other public officials on trafficking in persons; and the amendments made to the Trafficking in Persons Act (TIP Act) 2009 thereby prescribing aggravating circumstances and stiffer penalties for trafficking of children under section 4A(2)(l). | [{"link_name":"CEACR Observation","source_link":"https://normlex.ilo.org/dyn/nrmlx_fr/f?p=1000:13100:0::NO::P13100_COMMENT_ID,P13100_LANG_CODE:4000690,en:NO"}] | No information | National Plan of Action for Combating Trafficking in Persons | National Task Force Against Trafficking in Persons (NATFATIP) |
| With the support of the United States, this multi-year plan partnership aimed at reducing child trafficking by building effective systems of justice, child protection, prevention of abuse and exploitation of children. Throughout this plan, the Warnath Group enhanced the capabilities of Jamaican law enforcement and victim service providers by delivering specialized training and technical assistance. Their goal was to improve the number of victim-centered investigations, prosecutions, and convictions in child trafficking cases, while also assisting the Government of Jamaica in improving and sustaining data collection on child trafficking. The main goals of the plan included : training Parish Court Judges, Supreme Court Justices, and Court of Appeal Justices on issues such as international and local laws on trafficking, victim identification, victim protection principles, understanding child trafficking victims, referrals, and sentencing matters ; further collaboration and advocacy to support the government in identifying resources and convening a multi-agency working group to establish multidisciplinary child-friendly spaces for interviewing and assisting child victims; enhance the Office of the National Rapporteur’s role in providing information and building knowledge on human trafficking through technical support on its annual report and the development of an online resource library that is now owned and operated by the Office of the National Rapporteur for Trafficking in Person. | [{"link_name":"Child Protection Compact","source_link":"https://2021-2025.state.gov/child-protection-compact-partnerships-jamaica/"}] | 2018-2022 | Child Protection Compact | Jamaican governement - Warnath Group |