Tunisia

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Challenge

Child labour by age

Source:INS and ILO (2017): “Enquête Nationale sur le travail des enfants en Tunisie de 2017.”

179,000 children aged 5 to 17 in Tunisia are in child labour, comprising 7.9% of children of this age group.

The incidence of child labour is higher among boys (9,7%) than girls (6%). However, girls are more likely to be engaged in household chores than boys (53% versus 40%).

Most economically active children are unpaid family workers and are involved in agriculture, livestock, forestry and fishing, except in the Greater Tunis area, where approximately half of the working children work in commerce.

Out of all children in child labour, 75.9% are engaged in hazardous work.

Child labour by gender

Child labour by gender
Source:INS and ILO (2017): “Enquête Nationale sur le travail des enfants en Tunisie de 2017.”

Milestones

2000

Tunisia signs, and later ratifies, the Palermo Protocol on Trafficking in Persons. The country commits to taking measures against transnational organized crime. 

2016

Tunisia adopts the National Action Plan to Combat Child Labour in Tunisia. The country adopts Law 2016-61 on the Prevention and Fight against Trafficking in Persons, which leads to the creation of the National Authority against Trafficking in Persons. The Ministry of Justice and IOM launch the first National Campaign against Trafficking in Persons in Tunisia, #Pas à vendre (#Not for sale).

2018

Tunisia launches the National Strategy to Combat Trafficking in Persons and the National Action Plan against Trafficking in Persons.

Priorities

  • Develop an information system for data collection and sharing among relevant public institutions. The available information and existing monitoring systems at the level of each ministerial department involved in the fight against child labour should be mapped. A regulatory framework for the collection and sharing of data should be put in place. A joint strategic plan between the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Vocational Training should be developed, and the data collection of information in private schools should be institutionalized.
  • Develop a Child Labour Monitoring system at the national and regional levels for a better synergy among actors. Pilot evaluations and comparative experiments should be conducted, focal points at the level of the regional commissions should be designated, and structures adapted to the needs of children removed from child labour should be developed. Relevant procedure manuals should be prepared, in addition to regulatory texts and coordination protocols. A green line dedicated to the reporting of child labour cases should be established.
  • Improve the procedures and tools for labour inspectors to identify children, especially those in the informal economy. Proposals for regulatory texts to frame the intervention of labour inspectors in the informal sector should be elaborated, and a pilot experiment on child labour inspection of should be carried out in the informal sector in Greater Tunis.
  • Capitalize on and reinforce the capacity of student support service to sensitize children to child labour issues. Members of existing student support services should be trained on child labour issues to be able to sensitize students against it. The issue should be incorporated into school curricula and pre-service teacher training.
  • Harmonize internal laws related to human trafficking and child labour with mechanisms for law enforcement. Capitalizing on the work already done by the National Agency for Combating Trafficking in Persons, the exchange of information between relevant stakeholders should be ensured, and necessary legislative reforms concerning employment promotion should be introduced.
  • Clarify and expand the role of labour inspectors, and carry out regular control visits of places of exploitation. A circular on the role of labour inspectors should be adopted to dispel any legal uncertainties. A detailed guide should be developed to facilitate the work of labour inspectors. Coordination between the Public Prosecutor, child protection delegates, and labour inspectors should be enhanced.
  • Guarantee the protection and access to justice of irregular migrants who are at risk or currently involved in forced labour or human trafficking. The legislative framework should be modified to eliminate any discrimination against migrants. Awareness-raising campaigns are needed to promote migrants’ resort to migration centers.
  • Conduct a study of child exploitation. Further in-depth research on child exploitation is needed to guide action on this issue.
  • Build the capacity of the relevant actors. In order to help them realize their respective missions, the technical capacity of relevant actors should be enhanced through training, regional consultations, and awareness-raising campaigns.

 

 

Progress

Child Labour

  • Launch of the second report on the situation of human trafficking in Tunisia (June 2019)
  • Development of a “monitoring model” on child labour to facilitate a more fluid and interoperable information and data transfer system (since May 2019)
  • Piloting the monitoring system developed as part of the “All against child labour” in North-Western and Central regions of the country.
  • Adoption of a new list of hazardous work prohibited for children under 18 years of age (April 2020)
  • Elaboration of a TV channel to raise awareness against child labour
  • Institutional capacity building has been the main field of intervention since March 2019, with the implementation of several training cycles and the development of training materials on child labour and awareness-raising.

Child Labour

Setting up an information system for collecting and sharing data between the various public structures involved

At the level of the two pilot regions, Sfax and Jendouba, mechanisms for the exchange of information and good practices between the focal points representing the various intervening public structures have been set up. This has been consolidated with the creation of an intervention guide on child labour which will enable users to have a conceptual framework in order to coordinate research and the collection of information on child labour at the local and regional levels.

Establishment of a Child Labour Monitoring System (CLMS) at central and regional level, allowing for better synergy between stakeholders

Regional and local focal points have been set up (180 focal points) representing the various bodies involved in the fight against child labour. Creation of a directory of focal points representing the various bodies involved in the fight against child labour.

Improving procedures and tools for the identification of child labour situations by labour inspectors in the informal economy

The Tunisian government has submitted to the ARP (Assembly of People’s Representatives) Convention 129 on labour inspection in the agricultural sector.

Capitalise on and enhance the role of student support units to ensure better awareness and guidance against child labour

Continuation of the security programme for educational establishments and their protection from various assaults. Implementation of programmes to combat poverty, early school leaving and child labour.

Resources

Updates

  • 17 Jul 2019
    family work

    Accelerating action to end forced labour, human trafficking, modern slavery and child labour; experiences from Alliance 8.7 pathfinder countries Th..

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  • 17 Jul 2019
    family work

    In the margins of the High Level Political Forum, the Alliance 8.7 Global Coordinating Group held their 5th meeting at the Westin Hotel in New York. ..

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  • 14 May 2019
    family work

    The Second Global Meeting of the Action Group on Supply Chains was held in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire on 14-15 May, 2019 gathering over 140 participants...

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  • 28 Mar 2019
    family work

    Tunisia held their first Pathfinder Country Strategic Workshop on 28 March, 2019. The purpose of the workshop was to convene Alliance 8.7 organization..

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“The protection of children against economic exploitation is paramount, as is the protection of children in danger and under threat. To this end, a protection and assistance network has already been set up in Tunisia, with the support of the UN system and the strengthening of relevant actors. The work of the Strategic Workshop contributes to reinforcing this commitment and the partnership between actors for the protection of children and the fight against all forms of exploitation of children, including forced labour.”

M. Anis Dalhoumi, Head of Office, representing Ms. Naziha Labidi, Minister of Women, Family, Children and Senior Citizen
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