Rwanda National Police

The protection and promotion of the rights of children begins with parents, guardians, mentors and the entire community, the District Police Commander of Rulindo told the gathering, yesterday.

Supt. Aphrodis Gashumba was addressing owners of businesses and their customers at Base market, which aimed at improving on the collective understanding in fighting child abuse and preventing minors from child labour activities.

The awareness followed a Police operation in Base Sector earlier, where a number of minors were found being used in child labour activities.

Supt. Gashumba embarked on the duty of everyone in proper upbringing of children including preventing them from hectic activities, and giving them basic needs like education, medical as well as shelter, among others.

He warned against engaging minors in rice farming, mining and domestic chores, among others, which is against the law.

“Children have their rights and freedoms, which should be respected and promoted. As it is the duty of the police the enforce the law, it is equally your duty to ensure that legal instruments are implemented through information sharing and to ensure that we jointly nurture children with discipline and Rwandan values as future leaders,” the DPC told the gathering.

Child labour, under the Rwandan laws, is defined as the denial of children’s rights and a barrier to holistic child development.

A child aged 16 years of age and below, is not allowed to be engaged in any income generating works.

In June 1999, Rwanda became a signatory to the Convention of the International Labour Organization on prohibition and immediate elimination of worst forms of child labor.

Statistics by the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR) show that the total child labour ratio stands at 4.1 per cent with child labour in non-hazardous conditions accounting for 1.3 per cent of all children from the age of 6 to 17.

The law relating to the rights and protection of the child states in its article 51 that, “all forms of economic exploitation of a child by requiring him or her to accomplish a work that is likely to put him or her at risk or to compromise his or her education or to harm his or her health, her physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development are prohibited and punishable by law.”

The penal code punishes child labour with imprisonment term of up to seven years and a fine of up to Rwf500, 000.