Country profile TTO
Context
Context
| Year | Age group | Proportion | Gender | Indicator | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 5-17 | 5.4 | Male | Proportion of children engaged in economic activity, by sex and age (%) | UN SDG Indicators Database |
| 2022 | 5-17 | 3 | Female | Proportion of children engaged in economic activity, by sex and age (%) | UN SDG Indicators Database |
| 2022 | 5-17 | 4.2 | Male & Female | Proportion of children engaged in economic activity, by sex and age (%) | UN SDG Indicators Database |
| 2022 | 5-17 | 5.6 | Male | Proportion of children engaged in economic activity and household chores, by sex and age (%) | UN SDG Indicators Database |
| 2022 | 5-17 | 3.1 | Female | Proportion of children engaged in economic activity and household chores, by sex and age (%) | UN SDG Indicators Database |
| 2022 | 5-17 | 4.3 | 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 | sources | Value | sort_order | Provision description | Legislation description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum age for hazardous work | 2004-01-30; 1948; 1925-03-17 | C138 & C182 | Occupational Safety and Health Act - Section 22; Factories Ordinance - Section 32; Children's Act - Section 90(2) | [{"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:2294984,103138"},{"link_name":"-Occupational Safety and Health Act","source_link":"https://www.finance.gov.tt/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/The-Occupational-Safety-and-Health-Act.pdf"},{"link_name":"-Factories Ordinance","source_link":"https://labour.gov.tt/resources/laws-and-legislation?download=56:occupational-safetey-and-health"},{"link_name":"-Children's Act","source_link":"https://natlex.ilo.org/dyn/natlex2/natlex2/files/download/92282/TTO92282.pdf"}] | 16 | 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. | In a Direct Request published in 2009, the CEACR noted that young people between 16 and 18 years of age are permitted to work in some types of hazardous work under certain conditions, such as: working on dangerous machines (section 22 of the OSHA), lifting and carrying loads (section 32 of the Factories Ordinance), and night work in the manufacture of raw sugar or any other undertaking which may be declared to come under the exception of this section by Order of the President (section 90(2) of the Children’s Act). By virtue of section 22 of the OSHA, young people between 16 and 18 years may work on dangerous machines if they have been fully instructed as to the dangers arising in connection with the machine’s operation and the precautions to be observed, and if they have received sufficient training to work on the machine, or if they are under adequate supervision by a person who has special knowledge and experience in the operation of the machine. The Committee observes that section 90(2) of the Children’s Act and section 32 of the Factories Ordinance authorize types of hazardous work for young people between 16 and 18 years of age with no conditions to ensure their health and safety. Since, 2009, there seems to have been no change regarding these provisions. |
| 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:13100:P13100_COMMENT_ID,P13100_COUNTRY_ID:4396476,103138"}] | 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 2025, the CEACR notes with regret that the Governement has not yet adopted a list of hazardous types of work, despite ongoing efforts since 2004. |
| Is the minimum age for admission to work not less than the age for completion of compulsory schooling? | 1966-08-27 | C138 | Education Act - Section 76 (1) | [{"link_name":"Education Act","source_link":"https://natlex.ilo.org/dyn/natlex2/natlex2/files/download/80272/TTO80272%202015.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 76 (1) stipulates that the compulsory school age means any age between 5 and 16 years. |
| Minimum age for admission to work | 2007-02-26 | C138 | Miscellaneous Provisions (Minimum Age for Admission to Employment) Act - Article 2 | [{"link_name":"Miscellaneous Provisions (Minimum Age for Admission to Employment) Act","source_link":"https://www.finance.gov.tt/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/The-Miscellaneous-Provisions-Minimum-Age-for-Admission-to-Employment-Act-2007.pdf"}] | 16 | 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. | Article 2 of the Act sets the minimum age for admission to work to 16 years. |
| Is forced or compulsory recruitment of children under 18 for use in armed conflict prohibited? | 1962-06-01 | C182 | Defence Act - Section 19 | [{"link_name":"Defence Act","source_link":"https://www.vertic.org/media/National%20Legislation/Trinidad_and_Tobago/TT_Defense_Act.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 19 of the Act states that a recruiting officer shall not enlist a person between the ages of 16 years and 18 years unless consent to the enlistment has been given in writing. |
| Is the use, procuring or offering of children for illicit activities, in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs, prohibited? | 2012-08-06 | C182 | Children Act - Section 37 | [{"link_name":"Children Act","source_link":"https://natlex.ilo.org/dyn/natlex2/natlex2/files/download/92282/TTO92282.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 37 of the Act prohibits the use of a child to sell, buy or deliver a dangerous drug. |
| Is the use, procuring or offering of a child for the purpose of prostitution and for production of pornography prohibited? | 2012-08-06 | C182 | Children Act - Sections 12 and 40 | [{"link_name":"Children Act","source_link":"https://natlex.ilo.org/dyn/natlex2/natlex2/files/download/92282/TTO92282.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 12 and 40 of the Act punish, respectively, the use of children for prostitution and child pornography. |
| Minimum age for admission to apprenticeship | 2012-08-06 | C138 | Children Act - Section 106.(b) (iii) | [{"link_name":"Children Act","source_link":"https://natlex.ilo.org/dyn/natlex2/natlex2/files/download/92282/TTO92282.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 106.(b) (iii) of the Act stipulates that child at least 14 years of age may be emplyed in undertakings, provided that the work is carried out in accordance with conditions prescribed by the Minister with responsibility for education after consultation with the organisations of employers and workers concerned and the work is an integral part of a programme of guidance or orientation designed to facilitate a choice of an occupation or apprenticeship of any line of training, formal or informal. |
| Light work - Determination of types and conditions of activities | N/A | C138 | N/A | [{"link_name":"N/A","source_link":"N/A"}] | 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. | As light work is not regulated within the national legal framework, neither the types of activities nor the conditions under which it may be carried out are defined. |
| Minimum age for light work | N/A | C138 | N/A | [{"link_name":"N/A","source_link":"N/A"}] | N/A | 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. | Light work is not regulated by the national legal framework. |
| Is the sale and trafficking of children for sexual and labour exploitation prohibited? | 2011-06-09 | C182 | Trafficking in Persons Act - Section 8 | [{"link_name":"Trafficking in Persons Act","source_link":"https://antislaverylaw.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Trinidad-and-Tobago-Trafficking-in-Persons-Law-1.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 8 of the Act prohibits trafficking in children. |
International Legal Framework
International Legal Framework
| Ratification status | Convention | Convention description | Date of ratification | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| in-force | C138 | Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) | 03-SEP-2004 | Source |
| in-force | C182 | Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) | 23-APR-2003 | Source |
Policies and Plans
Policies and Plans
| Description | sources | Period | Policy name | Implementing agency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Developed in the context of the Migration Mutli-partner trust fund, and with the support of the International Migration Organisation, the Plan focuses on strengthening the capacities of national and community-based partners, caring for and empowering survivors and coordinating efforts in response to the needs of survivors of trafficking in Trinidad and Tobago. The main objective of the programme is to enhance the well-being, resilience and protection of migrants, including those who are vulnerable to violence, exploitation and abuse (particularly women, children and victims of trafficking), through strengthened, modernized and integrated national and community-based systems. | [{"link_name":"National Plan of Action against Trafficking in Persons","source_link":"https://mptf.undp.org/sites/default/files/documents/2024-10/prodoc_t_t_2021.pdf"}] | 2021-2025 | National Plan of Action against Trafficking in Persons | Ministry of National Security, Ministry of Social Development and Family Services, Ministry of Labour |
| The plan identifies 6 outmcomes aiming for the children to be loved, valued, nutured, protected, empowered and supported. To meet such goals, strategic objectives include : Design and implement a National, Social and Behaviour Change Communication Campaign; Ensure the provision of quality physical and mental health services for children; Enhance access to inclusive, quality education and learning opportunities; Enhance measures to prevent child labour and children’s involvement in hazardous work; Enhance legislative and policy frameworks to support children’s well-being; Increase the provision of social protection mechanisms to support children and their families. | [{"link_name":"National Child Policy","source_link":"http://parlcloud.ttparliament.org:8081/PapersLaidViewer/TempFiles/National%20Child%20Policy%20of%20Trinidad%20and%20Tobago.pdf"}] | 2020-2030 | National Child Policy | Child Affairs Division |
| The Education Policy seeks to meet 8 Strategic Objectives, including : Legislative Updates (Amendment of the Education Act); Human Resource Development; Equity in Quality Education; Curriculum Reform; Revitalisation of Technical and Vocational; Education and Training; Harnessing ICT for Digital Transformation; Transitioning Learners through the Education System; Enabling Student Success. | [{"link_name":"Education Policy","source_link":"https://storage.moe.gov.tt/wpdevelopment/2023/09/Education-Policy-2023-2027.pdf"}] | 2023-2027 | Education Policy | Ministry of Education |