Country profile LSO
Context
Context
| Year | Age group | Proportion | Gender | Indicator | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 5-17 | 11.1 | Male | Proportion of children engaged in economic activity, by sex and age (%) | Source |
| 2018 | 5-17 | 5.4 | Female | Proportion of children engaged in economic activity, by sex and age (%) | Source |
| 2018 | 5-17 | 8.2 | Male & Female | Proportion of children engaged in economic activity, by sex and age (%) | Source |
| 2018 | 5-17 | 15.1 | Male | Proportion of children engaged in economic activity and household chores, by sex and age (%) | Source |
| 2018 | 5-17 | 12.7 | Female | Proportion of children engaged in economic activity and household chores, by sex and age (%) | Source |
| 2018 | 5-17 | 13.9 | Male & Female | Proportion of children engaged in economic activity and household chores, by sex and age (%) | Source |
National Legal Framework
National Legal Framework
| Provision | Legislation date | Convention | Legislation info | sources | Value | sort_order | Provision description | Legislation description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Is the use, procuring or offering of children for illicit activities, in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs, prohibited? | 2011 | C182 | Children's Protection and Welfare Act, 2011 - 45. (b) | [{"link_name":"Children's Protection and Welfare Act, 2011","source_link":"https://natlex.ilo.org/dyn/natlex2/natlex2/files/download/106492/LSO106492.pdf"}] | Yes | 11 | C182 prohibits the use, procuring or offering of children for illicit activities in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs. | Section 45 of the Children's Protection and Welfare Act prohibits the activity of any person causing a child to carry out illegal activities detrimental to his health, welfare and educational. A person who causes or allows a child to be on any street, premises or place for this purposes is liable to a fine or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten month or both. |
| Is the use, procuring or offering of a child for the purpose of prostitution and for production of pornography prohibited? | 2011-01-11 | C182 | Anti-trafficking in Persons Act, 2011 - Part II, 5. | [{"link_name":"Anti-trafficking in Persons Act, 2011","source_link":"https://lesotholii.org/akn/ls/act/2011/1/eng@2021-01-14/source"}] | 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. | In its subsection (3), Section 5 of the Anti-trafficking in Persons Act notably defines trafficking as the recruitment, transport, transfer, harbour, providing, or receiving of a person for the purpose of prostitution, pornography. The text stipulates that anyone found responsible for child trafficking will be liable to life imprisonment. |
| Is forced or compulsory recruitment of children under 18 for use in armed conflict prohibited? | 1996-08-08 | C182 | Defence Act, 1996 | [{"link_name":"CEACR Direct request","source_link":"https://normlex.ilo.org/dyn/nrmlx_es/f?p=NORMLEXPUB:13100:0::NO::P13100_COMMENT_ID%2CP13100_LANG_CODE:2237337%2Cen"}] | 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. | In a direct request published in 2005, the CEACR (Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations) notes that the Defence Act of 1966 sets the minimum age range for joining the Defence Force at 18 years. The Committee also notes that the recruitment into the Royal Defence Force is only voluntary. |
| Is the sale and trafficking of children for sexual and labour exploitation prohibited? | 2011 | C182 | Children's Protection and Welfare, 2011 - 77. (a) | [{"link_name":"Children's Protection and Welfare, 2011","source_link":"https://natlex.ilo.org/dyn/natlex2/natlex2/files/download/106492/LSO106492.pdf"}] | 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 77. (a) of the Children's Protection and Welfare Act punishes any person who "sells, lets for hire or otherwise disposes of, or procures or hires or otherwise obtains possession of, a child with intent that the child is to be employed or used for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation, either within or outside Lesotho, or knowing or having reason to believe that the child will be so employed or use". |
| List of hazardous activities prohibited for children | 2011 | C138 & C182 | Children's Protection and Welfare, 2011 - 230. (3) | [{"link_name":"Children's Protection and Welfare, 2011","source_link":"https://natlex.ilo.org/dyn/natlex2/natlex2/files/download/106492/LSO106492.pdf"}] | Yes | 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. | Section 230. (3) of the Children's Protection and Welfare determines hazardous work as that corresponding to the following list : "(a) mining and quarrying; (b) porterage of heavy loads; (c) manufacturing industries where chemicals are pro- duced or used; (d) work in places where dangerous machines are used (e) work in places such as bars, hotels and places of enter- tainment where a person may be exposed to immoral behaviour; (f) herding animals at the cattle posts; (g) commercial sexual work; or (h) tobacco production and trafficking." Section 230. (1) prohibits the employment of children below the age of 18 years in any of these forms of light work. |
| Minimum age for hazardous work | 2011 | C138 & C182 | Children's Protection and Welfare Act, 2011 - 230. (1) | [{"link_name":"Children's Protection and Welfare Act, 2011","source_link":"https://natlex.ilo.org/dyn/natlex2/natlex2/files/download/106492/LSO106492.pdf"}] | 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. | Section 230. (1) of the Children's Protection and Welfare Act provides that "No child below the age of eighteen years shall be employed in any form of hazardous work". |
| Minimum age for admission to apprenticeship | N/A | C138 | N/A | [{"link_name":"N/A","source_link":"N/A"}] | No | 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. | N/A |
| Light work - Determination of types and conditions of activities | 2011 | C138 | Children's Protection and Welfare Act, 2011 - 229. (2) | [{"link_name":"Children's Protection and Welfare Act, 2011","source_link":"https://natlex.ilo.org/dyn/natlex2/natlex2/files/download/106492/LSO106492.pdf"}] | Yes | 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 229. (2) of the Children's Protection and Welfare Act defines light work as the work which is not likely to be harmful to the health or development of a child and does not affect the child's attendance at school or the capacity of the child to benefit from school. |
| Minimum age for light work | 2011 | C138 | Children's Protection and Welfare Act, 2011 - 229. (1) | [{"link_name":"Children's Protection and Welfare Act, 2011","source_link":"https://natlex.ilo.org/dyn/natlex2/natlex2/files/download/106492/LSO106492.pdf"}] | 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 229. (1) of the Children's Protection and Welfare Act sets the minimum age for engagement in light work at 13 years. |
| Minimum age for admission to work | 2011 | C138 | Children's Protection and Welfare Act, 2011 - 228. (1) | [{"link_name":"Children's Protection and Welfare Act, 2011","source_link":"https://natlex.ilo.org/dyn/natlex2/natlex2/files/download/106492/LSO106492.pdf"}] | 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 228. (1) of the Children's Protection and Welfare Act provides that "The minimum age for admission of a child to employment shall be fifteen years". |
| Is the minimum age for admission to work not less than the age for completion of compulsory schooling? | 2010-03-15 | C138 | Education Act, 2010 | [{"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:4301710,103188:NO"}] | 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. | In an Observation published in 2023, the CEACR noted that " according to the Education Act of 2010, the age of completion of compulsory education is 13 years in Lesotho, two years before a child is legally eligible to work (15 years)". |
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) | 14-JUN-2001 | Source |
| in-force | C138 | Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) | 14-JUN-2001 | Source |
Policies and Plans
Policies and Plans
| Description | sources | Period | Policy name | Implementing agency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| In a Direct Request published in 2023, the CEACR notes the Government's "information that the [NSFAP] 2021–2026 and guidelines for Victim Identification and Referral to Care have been developed. It also notes from the website of the Ministry of Home Affairs that the NSFAP aims to develop effective national coordination and cooperation among stakeholders; strengthen identification, protection and support of victims of trafficking; as well as successful detection, investigation, and prosecution of the perpetrators of human trafficking". | [{"link_name":"CEACR Direct Request","source_link":"https://normlex.ilo.org/dyn/nrmlx_en/f?p=1000:13100:0::NO:13100:P13100_COMMENT_ID,P13100_COUNTRY_ID:4301707,103188:NO"}] | 2021–2026 | National Anti-Trafficking Strategic Framework Action Plan (NSFAP) | Ministry of Home Affairs |
| In an observation published in 2023, the Committee of Experts on the Application of the Conventions and Recommendations (CEACR), noted the intention of the Government of Lesotho to launch the second phase of the APEC. The Committee also notes that "the Government has been taking measures (i) to provide sufficient resources to fully implement APEC and address in particular the exploitation of children in herding; (ii) to translate and widely disseminate the Minimum Employment Guidelines for herd-boys; and (iii) to undertake more awareness-raising programmes and campaigns against exploitation of children in herding". It should be noted that, on the matter of the APEC II, the CEACR requests the Government to continue providing information on the implementation of the guidelines for the agricultural sector as well as the specific measures taken against exploitation of children in herding within the framework of APEC-II, and the results achieved. | [{"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:4301704,103188:NO"}] | 2022-2026 | Action Plan for the Elimination of Child Labour (APEC-II) | No information |
| Part of the Decent Work Country Programme has a focus on the elimination of child labour. Its objectives include raising public awareness on the problem of child labour and the forms it takes in Lesotho, and improving labour inspection mechanisms. | [{"link_name":"Decent Work Country Programme","source_link":"https://www.ilo.org/sites/default/files/2024-04/Lesotho-DWCP.pdf"}] | 2018-2023 | Decent Work Country Programme III | Ministry of Labour and Employment |