Country profile SLE
Context
Context
| Year | Age group | Proportion | Gender | Indicator | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 5-17 | 22.5 | Male | Proportion of children engaged in economic activity, by sex and age (%) | Source |
| 2017 | 5-17 | 19.6 | Female | Proportion of children engaged in economic activity, by sex and age (%) | Source |
| 2017 | 5-17 | 21 | Male & Female | Proportion of children engaged in economic activity, by sex and age (%) | Source |
| 2017 | 5-17 | 25.6 | Male | Proportion of children engaged in economic activity and household chores, by sex and age (%) | Source |
| 2017 | 5-17 | 24.8 | Female | Proportion of children engaged in economic activity and household chores, by sex and age (%) | Source |
| 2017 | 5-17 | 25.2 | 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 forced or compulsory recruitment of children under 18 for use in armed conflict prohibited? | 2024-08-26 | C182 | Child Rights Act, 2024 - Section 11. | [{"link_name":"Child Rights Act, 2024","source_link":"https://www.parliament.gov.sl/uploads/bill_files/The%20Child%20Right%20Act,%202024.pdf"}] | 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 11. of the Children Right Act sets the minimum age for recruitment into armed forces to 18 years. |
| Is the use, procuring or offering of children for illicit activities, in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs, prohibited? | 2008-08-07 | C182 | National Drugs Control Act, 2008 - Section 7. and Section 13. | [{"link_name":"National Drugs Control Act","source_link":"https://www.sierra-leone.org/Laws/2008-10.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 7. of the Act prohibits the manufacture, cultivation, importation and exportation of drugs. Section 13. of that same text considers the use of minors in committing such offence, as an aggravating factor. |
| Is the use, procuring or offering of a child for the purpose of prostitution and for production of pornography prohibited? | 2012-10-09 | C182 | Sexual Offences Act, 2012 - Section 30, Section 31, Section 32 | [{"link_name":"Sexual Offences Act","source_link":"https://www.parliament.gov.sl/uploads/acts/sexual%20offences%20acts%202012.pdf"}] | 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. | Sections 30, 31 and 32 of the Act, respectively, prohibit the obtaining of the services of child prostitute; the offering, arranging or benefiting from child prostitution; and the action of parents facilitating child prostitution. For their part, Sections 26, 27 and 28 prohibit the producing and distributing child pornography, the use of children for pornographic purposes and the possessing or accessing child pornography. |
| Is the sale and trafficking of children for sexual and labour exploitation prohibited? | 2022-07-21 | C182 | Anti-Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Act, 2022 - Section 12. (1), Section 12. (2) and Section 13. (3) (c) | [{"link_name":"Anti-Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Act","source_link":"https://natlex.ilo.org/dyn/natlex2/natlex2/files/download/117003/AntiHuman%20Trafficking%20and%20Migrant%20Smuggling%20Act%202022.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 12. prohibits human trafficking, notably for the purpose of sexual and labour exploitation. For its part, Section 13. (3) (c) considers the committing of such offence against a child as an aggravating circumstance. |
| List of hazardous activities prohibited for children | N/A | C138 & C182 | N/A | [{"link_name":"CEACR Observation","source_link":"https://normlex.ilo.org/dyn/nrmlx_en/f?p=1000:13100:0::NO::P13100_COMMENT_ID,P13100_LANG_CODE:4367697,en:NO"}] | 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 Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations (CEACR) requested the Government to ensure that a section establishing a list of hazardous types of work prohibited to children under 18 years was retained during the enactment of the Employment Regulations, thus implying that no such law has yet been implemented. |
| Is the minimum age for admission to work not less than the age for completion of compulsory schooling? | 2014-09-26 | C138 | Child Rights Act, 2024 - Section 33. | [{"link_name":"Child Rights Act, 2024","source_link":"https://www.parliament.gov.sl/uploads/bill_files/The%20Child%20Right%20Act,%202024.pdf"}] | 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. | Section 33. of the Act stipulates that "the age of 15 years shall be the age at which the compulsory primary education of a child shall end, and also the minimum age for engagement of a child in full-time employment.". |
| Light work - Determination of types and conditions of activities | 2023-05-11 | C138 | Employment Act, 2023 - Section 96. (2) | [{"link_name":"-Employment Act, 2023","source_link":"https://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/sie223892.pdf"},{"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:4118639,103269"}] | 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. | In Section 96. (2), light work is defined as "work which is not likely to be harmful to the health or development of the child and does not affect the child’s attendance at school or the capacity of the child to benefit from school work". However, the legislation does not provide the conditions in which light work may be permitted or the number of hours during which such employment may be undertaken. In an Observation published in 2022, the Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations (CEACR) requested the Government to take the necessary measures to determine light work activities as well as the conditions in which light work may be permitted and the number of hours during which such employment of children may be undertaken. |
| Minimum age for hazardous work | 2023-05-11 | C138 & C182 | Employment Act, 2023 - Section 95. (4) | [{"link_name":"Employment Act, 2023","source_link":"https://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/sie223892.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 95. (4) of the Employment Act stipulates that "a child under the age of 18 years shall not work or be employed to perform any work that is likely to jeopardise his health, safety, physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development, or to interfere with his education. ". |
| Minimum age for admission to apprenticeship | 2023-05-11 | C138 | Employment Act, 2023 - Section 99. | [{"link_name":"Employment Act, 2023","source_link":"https://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/sie223892.pdf"}] | 14 | 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 99. of the Employment Act sets the minimum age for admission to apprenticeship with a craftsman to 14 years or after completion of basic education. |
| Minimum age for light work | 2023-05-11 | C138 | Employment Act, 2023 - Section 96. (1) | [{"link_name":"Employment Act, 2023","source_link":"https://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/sie223892.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 96. (1) of the Employment Act sets the minimum age for light work to 13 years. |
| Minimum age for admission to work | 2023-05-11 | C138 | Employment Act, 2023 - Section 95. (1) | [{"link_name":"Employment Act, 2023","source_link":"https://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/sie223892.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 95. of the Employment Act sets the minimum age for admission to work to 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) | 10-JUN-2011 | Source |
| in-force | C138 | Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) | 10-JUN-2011 | Source |
Policies and Plans
Policies and Plans
| Description | sources | Period | Policy name | Implementing agency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The National Social Protection Strategy outlines the country's strategic priorities to address social vulnerabilities and risks. The program considers implementing social protection programs targeting priority groups like children. Planned measures include : Gradually expanding the eligibility age for child grants, aiming for full coverage of all children under 15 by 2040; Testing, monitoring, and evaluating various approaches in the short term to ensure the child grant is effectively phased in over time, preventing financial barriers from hindering children's access to education; Collaborating with the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs to finalize and implement a comprehensive strategy to support street children. | [{"link_name":"National Social Protection Strategy","source_link":"https://www.developmentpathways.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/National-Social-Protection-Strategy-for-Sierra-Leone-final-digital-lowres42-compressed-1.pdf"}] | 2022-2026 | National Social Protection Strategy for Sierra Leone | National Social Protection Steering Committee |
| Set up with the support of the ILO, the DWCP II aims to mobilize all resources to create jobs and working conditions where Sierra Leoneans, especially women, youth, people with disabilities, and vulnerable groups, can work in freedom, safety, and dignity. The programme's key goals include the improvement of a social protection coverage that is inclusive and vulnerable responsive and the development of legal, policy and regulatory frameworks for the protection of the rights of children that are further developed, promoted and implemented. To meet these objectives, some provisions of the programme aim at improving the implementation of policies and programmes to eradicate Child labour and strengthening regulatory framework on Child labour. | [{"link_name":"DWCP II","source_link":"https://www.ilo.org/sites/default/files/2024-06/SL-DWCP%20II%20%282023-2027%29.pdf"}] | 2023-2027 | Decent Work Country Programme II (DWCP II) | Ministry of Employment Labour and Social Security |
| The ESP seeks to allow all learners in Sierra Leone to have equal opportunity to access quality basic, secondary, technical, vocational, and higher education. It identifies four core priorities : 1. Universal Access: Every child has the right to access and complete quality basic education and secondary education and have equal opportunity to tertiary education; 2. Comprehensive Safety: Every student has the right to learn in an environment that is physically and psychologically safe and free from all forms of abuse; 3. Radical Inclusion: Every child, regardless of gender, ethnicity, ability, socioeconomic status, disability status, or other circumstances has the right to receive a quality education that is appropriate to their needs; 4. Quality Teaching and Learning: Every student has the right to attend schools and learning institutions that provide quality teaching, learning and skills development opportunities that support their cognitive, social, and emotional development. | [{"link_name":"ESP","source_link":"https://www.unicef.org/sierraleone/media/1306/file/Sierra%20Leone%20Education%20Sector%20Plan%202022%20-%202026.pdf"}] | 2022-2026 | Education Sector Plan (ESP) | Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Ministry of Technical and Higher Education |
| In a Direct Request published in 2024, the Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations (CEACR) notes that the NAP has been reviewed and adopted. The Committee also notes that the NAP identifies four main key areas : " (1) advocating for adequate legislation and law enforcement; (2) promoting access to affordable, relevant and quality education; (3) ensuring effective social protection strategies and actions towards the most vulnerable households; and (4) promoting the involvement of key stakeholders in supporting the elimination of the worst forms of child labour. The key target groups are children at risk of falling into the worst forms of child labour, children who engage in hazardous work and the families of these children. " | [{"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:4367700,103269:NO"}] | 2022-2026 | National Action Plan (NAP) against the Worst Forms of Child Labour including Child Trafficking | No information |