Worst Forms of Child Labour Report 2005
Antigua and Barbuda

MEET A CHILD
Lee Boyd Malvo, aged 14 years, arrived in Antigua with his mother, who obtained forged US travel documents from Muhammad involved in kidnapping of children & drug trafficking. “She left for U.S. leaving me alone in a rented house, for three months. In an apparent fit of frustration, I trashed the inside of the house and moved in with Muhammad on Rose Street, where he use to keep the kidnapped children (as I came to know later). Muhammad, three children and I left Antigua for Puerto Rico, under a false name. I traveled as Lindbergh Williams. There we were kept in another home & forced for selling drugs”, says Malvo.

TOTAL POPULATION              76,000
CHILD POPULATION               19,760

Population Reference Bureau -2004

   

TOTAL CHILD LABOUR

Statistics on the number of working children under the age of 15 years in Antigua and Barbuda are unavailable, and there is limited information on the incidence and nature of child labor in the country.

From general observation, children over twelve years old do engage in part time employment particularly during summer holidays, generally with parental consent and with the right to utilize their earnings independently.

The US Department of Labour-2003 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labour.
   

ECONOMICALLY ACTIVE POPULATION

No Confirmed Data

 
   
GENDER RATIO

1000 females for 1000 males

 CIA, factbook-2005 (Fig is an estimate for 2005)
   

CHILDREN OUT OF SCHOOL

Education is compulsory and free for children between the ages of 5 and 16 years. According to UNICEF, most children enjoy access to primary education; however there are no nationally available enrollment statistics for Antigua

UNESCO's EFA Global Monitoring Report 2005
   

PROGRESS ON PRIMARY EDUCATION MDG

No Confirmed Data

  
   

CHILD SLAVERY

The Constitution prohibits slavery and forced labor.

The US Dept. of Labor's 2003 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labour.
   
CHILD TRAFFICKING

There are no laws that specifically address trafficking in persons. Although there were no reports that persons were trafficked to, from, or within the country, a task force evaluating the passport office determined that passports could be fraudulently obtained, raising the possibility that fraudulent passports could be used to facilitate migrant smuggling or trafficking in persons.

US Dept. of State, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices- 2004, February 2005
   
CHILD PROSTITUTION & PRONOGRAPHY

In 2001, children as young as 13 years old were reportedly involved in an organized prostitution and pornography rings

The US Dept. of Labor's 2003 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor
   
CHILDREN USED IN CRIME

No Confirmed Data

   
CHILD SOLDIERS

There were no reports of under-18s in the security forces.

CSUCS, Global Report on Child Soldiers, 2004
   

CHILD LABOUR IN UNORGANISED SECTOR

No Confirmed Data

 
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