Minimum Age for Employment
Minimum age for employment is 16 years though children between 13 to 15 years of age can do light work in the context of apprenticeship. Children can do light work that is not detrimental to their health and education. However, work that is part of the training is aimed at civic and patriotic education.
A child aged between sixteen (16) and eighteen (18) may be employed under certain conditions that the daily rest period for a child worker must be at least 12 consecutive hours. A child has to be employed in work which is proportionate to his/her capacity. A child cannot be employed in the nocturnal, laborious, unsanitary or dangerous services for his/her health as well as his/her education and morality. A labour inspector may also request the examination of child by a recognized doctor to verify that the work entrusted to him is not beyond his capacity and is not toiling upon his health. If a child is not employed in suitable work, the employment has to be terminated and notice pay has to be paid to the child.
It is the responsibility of the State to provide free primary education and to make sure that it is equally accessible to all. Primary education is free and compulsory to the age of 13 years.
A parent or guardian who does not send his/her child to school while the child has reached the required age to start primary school is reprimanded in a village meeting and is ordered to send the child to school.
In case a parent or a guardian prevents the child from continuing his/her education, the parent or guardian is summoned to school to receive explanations on the importance of education and is obliged to bring the child back to school.
In the event of the parent’s failure to comply with such orders, the school authorities can appeal to the Cell authorities where the child lives in order to bring the child back to school.
Similarly, anyone who engages a child in work that prevents him/her from going to school or encourages him/her to drop out of school is dealt with by the authorized bodies in accordance with the law and the child is brought back to school by the Cell authorities.
Source: §3 of the Law regulating Labour in Rwanda, 2018 (No. 66/2018); §55-58 of the Law Determining the Organisation of Education, 2021
Minimum Age for Hazardous Work
The minimum age for hazardous work is set at 18 years. The Labour Code prohibits employment of children under 18 in the following forms of work:
- forms of work which are physically harmful to the child;
- work underground, under water, at dangerous heights or in confined spaces;
- work with dangerous machinery, equipment and tools, or which involves the manual handling or transport of heavy loads;
- work in an environment which exposes the child to temperatures, noise levels or vibrations damaging to his/her health;
- work for long hours or during the night or work performed in confined spaces.
A child below the age of 18 cannot do hazardous work prohibited under the law. These prohibited works include: domestic work, slaughtering animals, melting metals, extracting mines and quarries, teaching swimming, processing and polishing stones, excavation work, demolition work, burning using clay ovens, fishing, acting in psychologically affecting movies, film projection, forest harvesting, lifting of heavy weights beyond the physical capacity of a child, forest harvesting, working as guard or watchman, working in bars, selling of alcoholic beverages, and working in areas where chemical products are used.
A child between the age of thirteen to fifteen can do light work in the private sector. He can help a parent or another person to receive customers in a family shop, assist in other small businesses, assist parents in household activities, assist in hair weaving, assist in work hair cut styling, assist in artistic work, assist parents in other small activities, or any other work that is not detrimental for the physical or mental health of the child.
If an individual forces a child to do works that are prohibited under the law, it amounts to of an offence. The individual guilty of such offence can be incarcerated for two to five years and a fine between 0.5-5 million Rwandan francs can be imposed.
Source: §6 & 117 of the Law regulating Labour in Rwanda, 2018 (No. 66/2018); §38, 39, Annex I, and Annex II of the Ministerial Order Nº 02/MIFOTRA/22 Of 30/08/2022 on Occupational Safety, Employees’ and Employers’ Organisations, Child Employment, Employment of a Foreigner, the Child And Circumstantial Leave
