Worst Forms of Child Labour Report 2005
Bosnia and Herzegovina

MEET A CHILD
Lara, a 14-year-old girl, was sold by her friend's brother to a pimp in Srebenica. She narrates her story, “My movement was restricted completely. I could not go anywhere. I was beaten & kept hungry very often if I refused "to work."  Every time we were threatened to be sold to Serbia...Now, though I am back at home in my village, I am afraid that my friend's brother will come and demand money from me. The police are corrupt there. They will say that I was a prostitute and then the police will not help”.
TOTAL POPULATION              3,889,000
CHILD POPULATION               700,020

Population Reference Bureau -2004

   

TOTAL CHILD LABOUR

11% of children in the age group 5-14 are involved in child labor as per UNICEF

 

State of World's Children 2005, UNICEF
   

ECONOMICALLY ACTIVE POPULATION

For the year 2010, there are estimated to be 2,034,000 economically active people. With no child aged 10-14 being economically active

 

ILO, Bureau of Statistics, Economically Active Population
   
GENDER RATIO

990 females for 1000 males

 

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

CHILDREN OUT OF SCHOOL

Data not available

 

 
   

PROGRESS ON PRIMARY EDUCATION MDG

Data not available

 

 
   

CHILD SLAVERY

The Constitution prohibits forced or compulsory labor, including by children; however, there were reports that such practices occurred.

 

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

Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is a country of origin, transit, and destination for women and girls trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Trafficked children, often ethnic Roma, are victims of forced labor.

 

US Dept. of State, Trafficking in Persons Report 2005
Many of the victims from BiH and Serbia and Montenegro are trafficked throughout the former Yugoslav republics and then back again in a seasonal, rotating pattern. US Dept. of State, Trafficking in Persons Report 2005
   

CHILD PROSTITUTION & PRONOGRAPHY

There are many sex bars: at least 150 in the Federation and almost 100 in Rep. Srpska. The nightclubs are the most common venues for prostitution; followed by street prostitution for the "lower" level and "telephone dates" for the "higher" one.

ECPAT CSEC Database,
http://www.ecpat.net/eng/
Ecpat_inter/projects/monitoring/
online_database/index.asp
A girl working in a brothel can bring in 230 USD per day for her pimp, attending to 15 clients. The majority of the nightclubs in Bosnia are between Srebenica and Zenica, a rural area almost 120km in length, within which nearly 150 brothels operate. ECPAT CSEC Database,
http://www.ecpat.net/eng/
Ecpat_inter/projects/monitoring/
online_database/index.asp
   
CHILDREN USED IN CRIME

No Confirmed Data

 
   
CHILD SOLDIERS

There were no reports of under-18s serving in the armed forces. In line with defence reforms the minimum age for voluntary recruitment was raised to 18.

 

CSUCS, Global Report on Child Soldiers, 2004
   

CHILD LABOUR IN UNORGANISED SECTOR

Although child labor was not known to be a problem, children sometimes assisted their families with farm work and odd jobs. Romani children often begged on the streets, particularly in larger cities.

 

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