In 2020, Grenada made no advancement in efforts to prevent the worst forms of child labor. Although research found no evidence that child labor exists in Grenada, no official study of child labor has been done to confirm this. The government's ability to prevent children from being subjected to the worst forms of child labor is limited because existing laws do not comprehensively prohibit child trafficking and the commercial sexual exploitation of children. In addition, the government did not authorize the labor inspectorate to assess penalties.
Research found no evidence that child labor exists in Grenada. (1)
|
Children |
Age |
Percent |
|---|---|---|
|
Working (% and population) |
5 to 14 |
Unavailable |
|
Attending School (%) |
5 to 14 |
Unavailable |
|
Combining Work and School (%) |
7 to 14 |
Unavailable |
|
Primary Completion Rate (%) |
123.0 |
Source for primary completion rate: Data from 2018, published by UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2021. (2)
According to the Education Act, public education is free and all children are required to attend school until age 16. (3)
Data on key indicators on children's work and education are not available from the sources used in this report.
Grenada has ratified all key international conventions concerning child labor (Table 1).
|
Convention |
Ratification |
|---|---|
|
ILO C. 138, Minimum Age |
✓ |
|
ILO C. 182, Worst Forms of Child Labor |
✓ |
|
UN CRC |
✓ |
|
UN CRC Optional Protocol on Armed Conflict |
✓ |
|
UN CRC Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography |
✓ |
|
Palermo Protocol on Trafficking in Persons |
✓ |
The government has established laws and regulations related to child labor (Table 2). However, gaps exist in Grenada's legal framework to adequately protect children from the worst forms of child labor, including the prohibition of using children in illicit activities.
|
Standard |
Meets International Standards |
Age |
Legislation |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Minimum Age for Work |
No |
16 |
Article 32 of the Employment Act (4) |
|
Minimum Age for Hazardous Work |
No |
||
|
Identification of Hazardous Occupations or Activities Prohibited for Children |
No |
||
|
Prohibition of Forced Labor |
Yes |
Article 25 of the Employment Act; Article 4 of the Constitution; Articles 9–11 of the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act (4-6) |
|
|
Prohibition of Child Trafficking |
No |
Articles 9–11 of the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act (6) |
|
|
Prohibition of Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children |
No |
Articles 137 and 188 of the Criminal Code; Article 12 of the Electronic Crimes Bill; Article 10 of the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act (6-8) |
|
|
Prohibition of Using Children in Illicit Activities |
No |
||
|
Minimum Age for Voluntary State Military Recruitment |
N/A† |
||
|
Prohibition of Compulsory Recruitment of Children by (State) Military |
N/A† |
||
|
Prohibition of Military Recruitment by Non-state Armed Groups |
No |
||
|
Compulsory Education Age |
Yes |
16 |
Articles 2 and 15 of the Education Act (3) |
|
Free Public Education |
Yes |
Articles 15 and 16 of the Education Act (3) |
† No standing military (9)
Grenada's Employment and Education Act allows holiday employment for children under age 16 under the supervision of their parents. (10) This does not meet international standards because it does not specify the minimum age, types of work, or number of hours permitted for such work. (4,11) The Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act does not sufficiently prohibit the trafficking of children, despite establishing heightened penalties for traffickers of children, because it requires the use of force, threats, abuse of power, or other forms of coercion to classify an act as human trafficking. (6) The Criminal Code, Electronic Crimes Bill, and Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act do not comprehensively prohibit the commercial sexual exploitation of all children. (6,8) The government also has not established laws that prohibit the use of children in illicit activities.
The government has established institutional mechanisms for the enforcement of laws and regulations on child labor (Table 3).
|
Organization/Agency |
Role |
|---|---|
|
Ministry of Labor |
Enforces laws related to child labor through its Labor Commission, which generates a list of workplaces to inspect and employs labor officers who make unannounced visits to all workplaces on the list. (1) |
|
Royal Grenada Police Force |
Investigates crimes and enforces laws related to child labor. Helps the Child Protection Agency and the Ministry of Social Development and Housing provide emergency services to children. (1) |
|
Ministry of Legal Affairs |
Prosecutes criminal cases of child abuse in consultation with the Child Protection Agency. (1) |
|
Child Protection Agency |
Enforces laws related to child labor by receiving and investigating reports of child abuse. Provides social and protective services to abused children, including by requesting court emergency protection orders. (12-14) |
|
Ministry of Social Development and Housing |
Oversees the Child Abuse Hotline and investigates reports of child abuse. Refers child abuse cases to the Child Protection Agency and criminal cases to the police. (13,14) Enforces laws related to school attendance and provides programs to support school attendance. (14) |
|
Ministry of Education |
Enforces laws related to school attendance through employment of truancy officers. Combats student absenteeism by monitoring students' attendance and facilitating students' access to school transportation and meals. (1) |
|
Public Prosecutor's Office |
Represents the State of Grenada and is charged with the responsibility of prosecuting criminal cases in lower and high courts. Authorized to institute, overtake, or discontinue criminal prosecutions. (15) Functions independently with overarching oversight over all public prosecutions. (15) |
Labor Law Enforcement
In 2020, labor law enforcement agencies in Grenada took actions to combat child labor (Table 4). However, gaps exist within the authority of the Ministry of Labor that may hinder adequate labor law enforcement, including penalty assessment authorization.
|
Overview of Labor Law Enforcement |
2019 |
2020 |
|---|---|---|
|
Labor Inspectorate Funding |
Unknown (16) |
Unknown (1) |
|
Number of Labor Inspectors |
6 (16) |
6 (1) |
|
Inspectorate Authorized to Assess Penalties |
Yes (4) |
Yes (4) |
|
Initial Training for New Labor Inspectors |
N/A (16) |
N/A (1) |
|
Training on New Laws Related to Child Labor |
N/A (16) |
N/A (1) |
|
Refresher Courses Provided |
Unknown (16) |
Unknown (1) |
|
Number of Labor Inspections Conducted |
Unknown (16) |
76 (10) |
|
Number Conducted at Worksite |
Unknown (16) |
76 (10) |
|
Number of Child Labor Violations Found |
Unknown (16) |
0(1) |
|
Number of Child Labor Violations for Which Penalties Were Imposed |
N/A (16) |
N/A (1) |
|
Number of Child Labor Penalties Imposed that Were Collected |
N/A (16) |
N/A (1) |
|
Routine Inspections Conducted |
Yes (16) |
Unknown (1) |
|
Routine Inspections Targeted |
Unknown (16) |
Unknown (1) |
|
Unannounced Inspections Permitted |
Yes (4) |
Yes (4) |
|
Unannounced Inspections Conducted |
Yes (16) |
Yes (1) |
|
Complaint Mechanism Exists |
Yes (10) |
Yes (10) |
|
Reciprocal Referral Mechanism Exists Between Labor Authorities and Social Services |
Yes (16) |
Yes (1) |
The government employs six inspectors, two of whom have responsibility for inspections on child labor as part of their portfolios. If inspectors find a violation, they must inform the Royal Grenadian Police Force (RGPF), which then conducts a criminal investigation. (1,17) The Labor Commission determines which inspections to conduct by generating a list of workplaces to inspect; labor officers then make unannounced visits to all workplaces on the list. Labor inspectors conducted 76 inspections in Grenada since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure compliance with pandemic-related protocols and other safety standards. (10) Inspectors noted no child labor violations during the inspections. (10) Research indicates that labor inspection and enforcement have limited resources. (1,17) In addition, the government did not provide complete data on its labor law enforcement efforts. (1,16)
Criminal Law Enforcement
Research did not find information on whether criminal law enforcement agencies in Grenada took actions to combat child labor.
|
Overview of Criminal Law Enforcement |
2019 |
2020 |
|---|---|---|
|
Initial Training for New Criminal Investigators |
Unknown (16) |
Unknown (1) |
|
Training on New Laws Related to the Worst Forms of Child Labor |
Unknown (16) |
Unknown (1) |
|
Refresher Courses Provided |
Unknown (16) |
Unknown (1) |
|
Number of Investigations |
Unknown (16) |
Unknown (1) |
|
Number of Violations Found |
Unknown (16) |
Unknown (1) |
|
Number of Prosecutions Initiated |
Unknown (16) |
Unknown (1) |
|
Number of Convictions |
Unknown (16) |
Unknown (1) |
|
Imposed Penalties for Violations Related to The Worst Forms of Child Labor |
Unknown (16) |
Unknown (1) |
|
Reciprocal Referral Mechanism Exists Between Criminal Authorities and Social Services |
Yes (16) |
Yes (1) |
If the RGPF finds sufficient evidence of a criminal violation, the RGPF may submit findings for possible prosecution by the Public Prosecutor's Office. (1,17)
The government does not publicly release information on its criminal law enforcement efforts related to child labor. (1)
As there is no evidence of a problem, there appears to be no need for mechanisms to coordinate efforts to address child labor.
As there is no evidence of a problem, there appears to be no need for policies to address child labor.
As there is no evidence of a problem, there appears to be no need for programs to address child labor. (1,16,17)
Based on the reporting above, the following actions would advance the continued prevention of child labor in Grenada (Table 6).
|
Area |
Suggested Action |
Year(s) Suggested |
|---|---|---|
|
Legal Framework |
Establish the minimum age for hazardous work at age 18 and identify hazardous occupations and activities prohibited for children. |
2009 – 2020 |
|
Prohibit the use of children in illicit activities, including drug production. |
2011 – 2020 |
|
|
Establish minimum age requirements of at least age 13 for holiday employment and define the activities, conditions, and number of hours permissible for such work. |
2014 – 2020 |
|
|
Ensure that the law establishes sanctions for all perpetrators of child trafficking, including in cases that do not show force, threats, or coercion. |
2015 – 2020 |
|
|
Enact legislation prohibiting the use, procuring, or offering of a child for all forms of commercial sexual exploitation. |
2016 – 2020 |
|
|
Ensure that the law criminally prohibits the recruitment of children under age 18 by non-state armed groups. |
2016 – 2020 |
|
|
Enforcement |
Provide sufficient funding and resources to allow agencies responsible for the enforcement of labor laws to fulfill their mission. |
2015 – 2020 |
|
Publish labor and criminal law enforcement data, including the following: information on the type of labor inspections; information on criminal inspectors' training; and the number of investigations, violations found, prosecutions initiated, and convictions in criminal law enforcement of the worst forms of child labor. |
2016 – 2020 |
|
|
Ensure that labor inspectors and criminal investigators receive training related to the worst forms of child labor. |
2015 – 2020 |
|
|
Publish data on labor inspectorate funding. |
2018 – 2020 |
|
|
Social Programs |
Collect and publish data on the extent and nature of child labor, including the worst forms of child labor, to inform policies and programs. |
2009 – 2020 |
- U.S. Embassy- Bridgetown. Reporting. February 12, 2021.
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, both sexes (%). Accessed March 2021. For more information, please see "Children's Work and Education Statistics: Sources and Definitions" in the Reference Materials section of this report.
http://data.uis.unesco.org/ - Government of Grenada. Education Act, No. 21 of 2002. Enacted: 2002.
http://laws.gov.gd/ - Government of Grenada. Employment Act, Act No. 14 of 1999. Enacted: 1999.
http://www.ilo.org/dyn/natlex/docs/WEBTEXT/53925/65176/E99GRD01.htm - Government of Grenada. Constitution, No. 2155 of 1973. Enacted: 1973.
http://pdba.georgetown.edu/constitutions/grenada/gren73eng.html - Government of Grenada. Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act. Enacted: June 11, 2014. Source on file.
- Government of Grenada. Electronic Crimes Bill. Enacted: October 3, 2013.
http://www.easterncaribbeanlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Electronic-Crimes-Act.pdf - Government of Grenada. Criminal Code. Enacted: January 20, 1987.
http://www.ilo.org/dyn/natlex/docs/ELECTRONIC/95182/111978/F2077022491/GRD95182.PDF - U.S. Department of State. Country Report on Human Rights Practices- 2017: Grenada. Washington, DC, 2018.
https://www.state.gov/reports/2018-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/grenada/ - U.S. Embassy- Bridgetown official. E-mail communication to USDOL official. June 22, 2021.
- ILO Committee of Experts. Individual direct request concerning Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) Grenada (ratification: 2003) Published: 2019. Accessed February 27, 2020.
https://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=1000:13100:0::NO:13100:P13100_COMMENT_ID:3963296 - U.S. Embassy- Grenada. Reporting. January 18, 2017.
- UNICEF. Situation Analysis of Children in Grenada. September 2017.
https://www.unicef.org/easterncaribbean/reports/situation-analysis-children-grenada - Government of Grenada. Ministry of Social Development. April 26, 2018.
https://www.gov.gd/ministries/social_development.html - U.S. Embassy- Grenada official. E-mail communication to USDOL official. March 23, 2021.
- U.S. Embassy- Bridgetown. Reporting. January 15, 2020.
- U.S. Embassy- Bridgetown. Reporting. January 15, 2019.
