A Closer Look at Child Labour in Timor-Leste—Challenges and Progress Towards Ending the Practice

At the end of a hectic day of work, many people in Dili, the capital city of Timor-Leste, choose to spend a few minutes of relaxation by the beach area. Ano and his friends, all in third grade, also frequent the beach area at this time—their mission being to entice passersby to buy the variety of snacks they are selling.

Ano left home at 3 p.m. with about 10 packets of popcorn expertly slung over his shoulder. By 6 p.m., only four packets have been bought, and so he must spend more hours pacing up and down the long stretch of beach with the hope that customers will spend $0.25 on one packet of popcorn. From experience, Ano knows that he might still be at this spot until 10 or 11 p.m. before making the long walk back home.

With 42 per cent of families in Timor-Leste living in poverty, many children, some even younger than Ano, are forced into selling cooked food items, snacks, cigarettes or mobile phone service cards to create an additional revenue stream for their families. For Ano, this means spending lengthy hours on the streets after school, but for many others, the duty to provide for the family often overrides the need to attend school.

A 2022 qualitative study issued by the Government of Timor-Leste, the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), titled “Drivers of Child Labour in Timor-Leste”, reveals that similar scenarios of child labour are at play in tea and coffee plantations across the country, as well as the hospitality industry and in private residences. Again, in these industries, children are engaged in duties that deny them a proper childhood and education, while exposing them to health risks and the possibility of violence and abuse.

Apart from the economic drive, the report also reveals that some parents and caregivers see child labour as a positive social norm and a means for children to gain experience and learn skills. Most parents do not understand how long hours spent in active economic work can have irreversible physical, mental and psychological consequences for their children.

According to a report issued jointly by ILO and UNICEF in 2023, 160 million children were engaged in child labour as of the beginning of 2020, accounting for almost 1 in 10 of all children worldwide. Among these are children from Timor-Leste. With 10 per cent of children from 5 to 12 years of age classified as being engaged in economic activities, urgent collaborative actions are required to combat this problem, which poses a threat to the country’s key targets for the Sustainable Development Goals, including those related to poverty eradication, education, gender equality and decent work. 

Thankfully, the Government of Timor-Leste, United Nations agencies such as UNICEF and ILO, and civil society organizations all acknowledge the scope of child labour and its deep-rooted causes. This means that there is a great opportunity for different institutions in Timor-Leste to work together towards change.

The Government’s ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 2003 was a positive show of commitment to protecting children from abuse and rights violations. Other key international agreements, such as the 1999 Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, formally known as Convention No. 182, have also been ratified by Timor-Leste, demonstrating the commitment of the Government to take actions to prohibit and eliminate the worst forms of child labour, including slavery, child prostitution, and the use of children in criminal activities and dangerous labour.

Abutu is the third child in a family of five, living in Dili, Timor-Leste. Every day after school, Abutu joins his mother by the beach in Dili to sell. @UNICEF Timor-Leste/2024/DMonemnasi

To domesticate these international agreements, the country has introduced laws and policies that provide a legal basis for the elimination of all forms of child labour. These include the Labour Code, which prohibits employment of children under 15 years of age. The Law on the Protection of Children and Youth in Danger, enacted in 2023, provides a further legal framework for the protection of children against all forms of neglect, exploitation and abuse.

Yet, despite this progress, gaps persist. Firstly, full enforcement of laws pertaining to child labour is needed to protect children from all forms of labour and to strengthen mechanisms for reporting violations of these laws at the community level. Ensuring stricter penalties for offenders could serve as a deterrent for this practice.

Additionally, despite the vast anecdotal evidence of child labour, solid and regular data on the prevalence of this practice is still scarce. More convincing and up-to-date data on child labour, highlighting the prevalence, causes and impact on children, would help draw in more stakeholders and persuade caregivers to accept that child labour is a persistent problem.

Timor-Leste is currently experiencing a shortfall in its social welfare workforce. Professionals working in this field can play a role in preventing and responding to child labour by providing support, referrals and guidance to children and families in vulnerable situations. Recognizing the potential benefits provided by such workers, UNICEF has invested in their training so that they can effectively deliver protection services.

The creation of social protection safety nets that focus on reducing child poverty, which is a major contributor to child labour, is another necessary step towards improving the well-being of children, and leads to improved chances for schooling, better health and protection for children.

Raising awareness regarding the provisions of the Labour Code and the Law on the Protection of Children in Danger, as well as reinforcing the message to parents of the importance of education and the negative impacts of child labour, could help shift some of the social norms that account for the practice.

Lastly, approving the National Action Plan against child labour and the decree law on the list of dangerous activities prohibited to minors under 18 years of age would further strengthen the policy framework in Timor-Leste. Stronger national policy, combined with credible enforcement and international support, can help end the practice of child labour, in Timor-Leste and elsewhere.

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