The Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare of Guatemala presented the report of the Child Labor Module of the National Survey of Living Conditions - ENCOVI 2014, as part of the initiatives of the National Commission for the Eradication of Child Labor. This was carried out during the Forum “Analysis of the situation of Child Labor in Guatemala and its application in the prioritization of plans, programs and projects in favor of children and adolescents”.

The report, prepared in coordination with the National Institute of Statistics - INE and the support of the International Labor Organization - ILO, reflects the situation of child labor in the country and highlights that there is progress in reducing this in the indigenous population ; however, there is still a gap between the indigenous and non-indigenous child labor conditions.

Some results of the Child Labor Module

• According to the analysis of the Module, 16.9% of the population between 7 and 17 years of age is in child labor and the majority are boys and male adolescents (25%). 

• Adolescents aged 14-17 years, with the minimum working age, have the highest employment rates. 

• 46% of the boys, girls and adolescents who work carry out domestic tasks or combine both.

• By zones, the department with the highest incidence is Alta Verapaz (30.2%), with a majority indigenous population. 

• Six out of ten working poor children and adolescents work in agriculture, while almost half of the non-poor work in commerce, transport and storage.

• For households in extreme poverty, the income of children and adolescents represents almost half of the total household income; and for the non-poor, a quarter.

To read the full report, go  here . 

With the presentation of this report, Leticia Teleguario, Minister of Labor and Social Welfare, indicated the firm commitment of her portfolio and the country to the prevention and eradication of child labor, and the urgency of taking action to strengthen efforts towards integral development. .

Noortje Denkers, ILO representative at the forum, highlighted the importance of this data and its analysis as a strategic resource to prioritize actions, as these could be used for the application of the Child Labor Predictor Model, a statistical tool developed by the  Regional Initiative Latin America and the Caribbean free of child labor , in collaboration with ECLAC, as part of the  Accelerating Policy Framework for the reduction of child labor .

In this regard, it should be noted that Guatemala is one of the promoter countries of the Regional Initiative, which participates actively, along with 26 other countries in the region, in the planning and implementation of better alternatives and interventions to achieve in Latin America and the Caribbean Target 8.7 of the 2030 Agenda on ending child labor and its worst forms.