According to experts, the government applies systemic approach to resolve the child labour issue. However, it is not as efficient in practice as it should be.
Seventh graders Nurmat and Aibek (not their real names) have worked in the fields of a village of Chui region for a few years already. Working conditions of teenagers are hard – sometimes they have to grub up weeds or plant vegetables under a boiling sun.
“Usually, we come to the field early in the morning and sometimes work until it gets dark,” Nurmat said. “Sometimes, we have to grub up weeds, plant cabbage or tomatoes, and water them. In summer, we stay here at night and watch over it. We are paid more for that.”
According to the boys, up to 700 som (8.49 dollars) can be earned per day. If you stay overnight to keep watch over the plot, you can earn 900 som (10,94 dollars). To the question “why do you work” they respond that they “should help parents and earn their pocket money.”
“I will do my homework later, when I am at home,” Aibek said and continued to pull weed. Both of them said they attended school. In fact, no one answered how often, but they hurried to add that many of their friends make some extra cash – some work at petrol stations, some tend cattle, some load hay onto trucks.
The teenagers do not think about the quality of education. It is unlikely that parents tell them about it. The adults who work nearby do not think a child labour is a bad thing, vice versa they encourage it. They don’t care how hard work affects the developing child’s body.
“On the other hand, they will know how to earn money. They will become farmers,” said one of the men who said his name was Azamat.
Amina Kurbanova, coordinator of the International Labour Organisation in Kyrgyzstan, said that the republic has the national legal framework that ensures protection of children’s rights, including protection of working children. It contains the Constitution, Children’s Code, Labour, Criminal and Family Codes, law “On labour protection”, and law “On education”. Moreover, Kyrgyzstan has ratified a series of international documents that ensure protection of children’s rights and legitimate interests. In particular, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the ILO’s Minimum Age Convention and the ILO’s Convention concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour.
The minimum age of employment is specified in the Labour Code as 16 years old. However, in exceptional cases, persons who have reached the age of 15 years old may be employed upon agreement with the representative body of the organisation’s employees or an authorised labour state body. At the same time, students reaching the age of 14 may enter into a labour contract upon written consent of one of the parents to do light labour in their spare time, which is not harmful for their health and does not affect their learning process.
“In other words, working children are one of priority groups in the existing child protection system. And we can speak of the systemic approach of the government to this issue, at least in terms of legislation,” Kurbanova said. “In fact, it does not work as efficiently as we want it to be.”
Kumar Ergeshova, social worker of the Child Protection Centre in Bishkek, also confirmed that child labour in Kyrgyzstan is not protected despite the existing laws.
“Children work on the fields, gather bottles, waste paper, do not attend school for months. It’s not a secret. However, Kyrgyzstan still turns a blind eye on it,” Ergeshova said.
Children’s commissioner Asel Chynbaeva said that involvement of children into the labour market is encouraged by a range of reasons. These are economic instability, mass migration of people, rise in poverty level, influence of local customs and traditions. Moreover, according to her, new challenges emerge today such as the Covid-19 pandemic consequences. Because of the crisis, many have been left jobless, which has forced some families to look for alternative ways of earning with involvement of children.
Longread: Central Asia: Children Below Poverty Line
Outdated statistics
There is no exact and updated information about the number of working children in Kyrgyzstan. The statistics available today dates back to 2018. According to the National Statistical Committee, the percentage of children aged 5-17 involved in labour was 26.7 per cent. At that, child labour is more widespread among boys rather than girls.
The highest indicator of child labour, according to the 2018 data, is in Naryn region (40 per cent), then in Talas region (35 per cent) and Dzhalal-Abad region (34 per cent). In Osh region, the child labour rate was 33 per cent, in Batken region 28 per cent, in Issyk Kul region 27 per cent, and in Chui region 24 per cent. As to the cities of Bishkek and Osh, indicators are 7.3 per cent and 6.1 per cent, respectively.
It is emphasised that almost 95 per cent of children work in farming. Minor children are also involved in trade, provision of various services, informal mining and construction sectors. Moreover, children are often used for moving of goods, loading and unloading goods and baggage, sale of small parts, gathering of bottles and empty cartons.
No child labour researches have been performed in Kyrgyzstan after 2018. According to Amina Kurbanova, the National Statistical Committee usually carries out such researches at the expense of various donor organisations.
Experts of the International Labour Organisation also indicated there were some moments that were far from “child labour” concept. For example, when children and teenagers perform works that do not affect their health and development, and do not prevent them from acquiring knowledge is considered a good phenomenon. Such kinds of work refer to house chores or earning pocket money after school or during vacations. This is labour nurturing that helps a child acquire skills and gain experience that can be of use in the future.
And the child labour exploitation refers to the kinds of works that are psychologically or physically associated with hazard, and jeopardise the academic or moral development of a child. Moreover, there is a category of the so-called worst forms of child labour. This term refers to the practice similar to slavery. For example, the sale of children, using them in armed conflicts, trafficking of drugs, sexual exploitation, etc.
According to the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Migration, territorial offices always identify children in difficult life situations. In 2021, 171 children involved in child labour were identified. Bakyt Todogeldiev, chief of the Office for Family Support, Child Protection and Gender Policy, assured that in such cases every child has an individual protection plan and receives social services in rehabilitation centres.
“Uneducated children pose a direct threat to the state”
According to experts, child labour is not only bad for the physical development of children, but also deprives them of normal childhood and opportunity to study. These consequences may affect the whole life.
According to the International Labour Organisation, children are different from adults by their physiological and mental characteristics, they are more receptive to special workplace hazards and react negatively to them. Moreover, physically-demanding jobs and heavy lifting can retard development and have a general negative impact on the immature body.
According to social worker of the Child Protection Centre Kumar Ergeshova, in addition to all these, children involved in child labour since childhood tire of studying. It means that they will not be able to pursue quality education and get a legal job in the future.
“Such children in adulthood will have some subsidiary work and can remain poor,” she said. “Therefore, uneducated children pose a direct threat to the state.”
According to Ergeshova, the most effective way to counter child labour is to meet all the laws and improve their action. Moreover, according to her, kindergartens should be opened, more playgrounds and spaces should be arranged for children to develop comprehensively.
“The people should perceive the difference between labour nurturing and child labour. The people should know that hard work is bad and dangerous for children,” the social worker said.
In turn, the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Migration said that Kyrgyzstan today has the state programme “Family support, child protection”. Bakyt Todogeldiev, chief of the Office for Family Support, Child Protection and Gender Policy, emphasised that the programme contained a plan to prevent child labour.
Todogeldiev did not specify the plan and its actions. However, he assured that “it would be promulgated on government websites soon”, and “state bodies will continue to take “particular actions” to protect children involved in child labour.”