[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"page:en-rw\u002Fwork-in-rwanda\u002Flabour-law\u002Ffair-treatment\u002Fminors-and-youth":3},{"id":4,"slug":5,"title":6,"short_title":7,"intro_text":8,"meta_description":8,"seo_title":8,"path":9,"content_type":10,"locale":11,"go_live_at":7,"first_published_at":12,"page_created_at":13,"published_at":12,"edit_url":14,"breadcrumbs":15,"seo":29,"rendered":38,"description":39,"body":40,"body_blocks":41,"call_to_action":42,"owner":49,"authors":57,"show_related_pages":59,"related_pages":60,"related_sites":137,"in_subsite":59,"contact_page_url":7,"banner_message":138},842,"minors-and-youth","Minors and Youth",null,"","\u002Fen-rw\u002Fwork-in-rwanda\u002Flabour-law\u002Ffair-treatment\u002Fminors-and-youth","labourlaw.labourlawpage","en_RW","2025-07-28T06:21:25.736267+00:00","2026-04-12T02:53:17.095096+00:00","\u002Fcms\u002Fpages\u002F842\u002Fedit\u002F",[16,19,22,25,28],{"title":17,"slug":18},"Rwanda","en-rw",{"title":20,"slug":21},"Work in Rwanda","work-in-rwanda",{"title":23,"slug":24},"Labour Law","labour-law",{"title":26,"slug":27},"Fair Treatment","fair-treatment",{"title":6,"slug":5},{"title":30,"description":8,"image":31,"canonical":32,"robots":33,"og_type":34,"twitter_card":35,"locale":18,"created_at":36,"last_modified_at":37},"Child Labour, Youth Workers - Rwanda","https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002FSocial_media_preview_image_-_2025.2e16d0ba.fill-1200x630.png","https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fen-rw\u002Fwork-in-rwanda\u002Flabour-law\u002Ffair-treatment\u002Fminors-and-youth\u002F","index, follow","website","summary_large_image","2025-07-28T08:21:25.736267+02:00","2026-04-12T04:53:17.269028+02:00","\u003Cdiv class=\"cobra-ll-view\">\n\n  \n\n    \n    \n  \n  \u003Ch1>Minors and Youth\u003C\u002Fh1>\n  \u003Cspan class=\"lastupdated\">This page was last updated on:\n      2026-04-15\u003C\u002Fspan>\n\n  \n\n    \n  \n\n\t\n\t\n\n    \n      \n        \n          \n    \n    \n    \n        \u003Cdiv class=\"teaserItem\">\n          \u003Ch2>Minimum Age for Employment\u003C\u002Fh2>\n          \u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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\u002Fher capacity. A child cannot be employed in the nocturnal, laborious, unsanitary or dangerous services for his\u002Fher health as well as his\u002Fher education and morality. A labour inspector may also request the examination of the 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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A parent or guardian who does not send his\u002Fher 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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In case a parent or a guardian prevents the child from continuing his\u002Fher 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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Similarly, anyone who engages a child in work that prevents him\u002Fher from going to school or encourages him\u002Fher 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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Source:\u003C\u002Fstrong> §3 of the Law regulating Labour in Rwanda, 2018 (No. 66\u002F2018); §55-58 of the Law Determining the Organisation of Education, 2021\u003C\u002Fp>\n        \u003C\u002Fdiv>\n    \n\n\n        \n      \n        \n          \n    \n    \n    \n        \u003Cdiv class=\"teaserItem\">\n          \u003Ch2>Minimum Age for Hazardous Work\u003C\u002Fh2>\n          \u003Cp>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:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>i. forms of work which are physically harmful to the child;\u003Cbr \u002F>\nii. work underground, under water, at dangerous heights or in confined spaces;\u003Cbr \u002F>\niii. work with dangerous machinery, equipment and tools, or which involves the manual handling or transport of heavy loads;\u003Cbr \u002F>\niv. work in an environment which exposes the child to temperatures, noise levels or vibrations damaging to his\u002Fher health;\u003Cbr \u002F>\nv. work for long hours or during the night, or work performed in confined spaces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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 workor any other work that is not detrimental for the physical or mental health of the child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If an individual forces a child to do works that are prohibited under the law, it amounts to 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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Source:\u003C\u002Fstrong>  §6 & 117 of the Law regulating Labour in Rwanda, 2018 (No. 66\u002F2018);\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>§38, 39, Annex I, and Annex II of the Ministerial Order Nº 02\u002FMIFOTRA\u002F23 of 01\u002F08\u002F2023 on Occupational Safety, Employees’ and Employers’ Organizations, Child Development, Employment of a Foreigner, the Child, and Circumstantial Leave\u003C\u002Fp>\n        \u003C\u002Fdiv>\n    \n\n\n        \n      \n    \n\n    \n      \n    \n      \u003Cdiv class=\"regulations\">\n        \u003Ch2>Regulations on Minors and Youth\u003C\u002Fh2>\n        \u003Cul>\n          \u003Cli>\n            Ministerial Order Nº 02\u002FMIFOTRA\u002F22 Of 30\u002F08\u002F2022 on Occupational Safety, Employees’ and Employers’ Organisations, Child Employment, Employment of a Foreigner, the Child And Circumstantial Leave\n          \u003C\u002Fli>\n          \u003Cli>\n            Law regulating Labour in Rwanda, 2018 (No. 66\u002F2018)\n          \u003C\u002Fli>\n          \u003Cli>\n            Law Determining the Organisation of Education, 2021\n          \u003C\u002Fli>\n        \u003C\u002Ful>\n      \u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n    \n    \n      \n      \n    \n    \u003Cdiv class=\"related\">\n      \u003Ch2>Related Items\u003C\u002Fh2>\n      \n          _ll_fairtreatment_URL_\n      \n    \u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n    \n\n  \n\n    \n    \n\n  \n\n  \n  \n\n  \n    \u003Cstyle>\n\n      h1, h2, h3 {\n      font-weight: bold;\n      margin-top: 20px;\n      margin-bottom: 10px;\n      }\n      \n      .related a {\n        display:block;\n        border: 1px solid transparent;\n      }\n\n      ul ol, ol ol, ol ul {\n      font-size: 100%;\n      }\n\n    \u003C\u002Fstyle>\n\n  \n\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>","Your rights: child labour, minors and youth workers in Rwanda – .","\u003Cdiv>\n\n\u003Cspan>This page was last updated on:\n      2026-04-15\u003C\u002Fspan>\n\u003Cdiv>\n\u003Ch2>Minimum Age for Employment\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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\u002Fher capacity. A child cannot be employed in the nocturnal, laborious, unsanitary or dangerous services for his\u002Fher health as well as his\u002Fher education and morality. A labour inspector may also request the examination of the 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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A parent or guardian who does not send his\u002Fher 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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In case a parent or a guardian prevents the child from continuing his\u002Fher 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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Similarly, anyone who engages a child in work that prevents him\u002Fher from going to school or encourages him\u002Fher 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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Source:\u003C\u002Fstrong> §3 of the Law regulating Labour in Rwanda, 2018 (No. 66\u002F2018); §55-58 of the Law Determining the Organisation of Education, 2021\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\u003Cdiv>\n\u003Ch2>Minimum Age for Hazardous Work\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>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:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>i. forms of work which are physically harmful to the child;\u003Cbr\u002F>\nii. work underground, under water, at dangerous heights or in confined spaces;\u003Cbr\u002F>\niii. work with dangerous machinery, equipment and tools, or which involves the manual handling or transport of heavy loads;\u003Cbr\u002F>\niv. work in an environment which exposes the child to temperatures, noise levels or vibrations damaging to his\u002Fher health;\u003Cbr\u002F>\nv. work for long hours or during the night, or work performed in confined spaces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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 workor any other work that is not detrimental for the physical or mental health of the child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If an individual forces a child to do works that are prohibited under the law, it amounts to 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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Source:\u003C\u002Fstrong>  §6 & 117 of the Law regulating Labour in Rwanda, 2018 (No. 66\u002F2018);\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>§38, 39, Annex I, and Annex II of the Ministerial Order Nº 02\u002FMIFOTRA\u002F23 of 01\u002F08\u002F2023 on Occupational Safety, Employees’ and Employers’ Organizations, Child Development, Employment of a Foreigner, the Child, and Circumstantial Leave\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\u003Cdiv>\n\u003Ch2>Regulations on Minors and Youth\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>\n            Ministerial Order Nº 02\u002FMIFOTRA\u002F22 Of 30\u002F08\u002F2022 on Occupational Safety, Employees’ and Employers’ Organisations, Child Employment, Employment of a Foreigner, the Child And Circumstantial Leave\n          \u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\n            Law regulating Labour in Rwanda, 2018 (No. 66\u002F2018)\n          \u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\n            Law Determining the Organisation of Education, 2021\n          \u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\u003Cdiv>\n\u003Ch2>Related Items\u003C\u002Fh2>\n      \n          \u003Ca href='\u002Fen-rw\u002Fwork-in-rwanda\u002Flabour-law\u002Ffair-treatment'>Fair Treatment\u003C\u002Fa>\n      \n    \u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\u003Cstyle>\n\n      h1, h2, h3 {\n      font-weight: bold;\n      margin-top: 20px;\n      margin-bottom: 10px;\n      }\n      \n      .related a {\n        display:block;\n        border: 1px solid transparent;\n      }\n\n      ul ol, ol ol, ol ul {\n      font-size: 100%;\n      }\n\n    \u003C\u002Fstyle>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>",[],{"text":43,"link":44},"Contact Us",{"title":43,"url":45,"description":43,"rel":46,"type":47,"id":48},"\u002Fabout\u002Fcontact","follow","internal",24590,{"id":50,"first_name":51,"last_name":52,"email":53,"image":54,"function":55,"external":56},2,"Gunjan","Pandya","gunjanpandya@wageindicator.org","https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002FGunjan-Pandya-ED_PhPZSyI.width-400.jpg","IT Specialist and Global Webmaster",false,[58],{"id":50,"first_name":51,"last_name":52,"email":53,"image":54,"function":55,"external":56},true,[61,65,69,73,77,81,85,89,93,97,101,105,109,113,117,121,124,128,129,133],{"id":62,"short_title":63,"title":23,"url":64},824,"All about Labour Laws in Rwanda.","\u002Fen-rw\u002Fwork-in-rwanda\u002Flabour-law",{"id":66,"short_title":7,"title":67,"url":68},826,"Work and Wages","\u002Fen-rw\u002Fwork-in-rwanda\u002Flabour-law\u002Fwork-and-wages",{"id":70,"short_title":7,"title":71,"url":72},827,"Compensation and Working Time","\u002Fen-rw\u002Fwork-in-rwanda\u002Flabour-law\u002Fcompensation-and-working-time",{"id":74,"short_title":7,"title":75,"url":76},828,"Annual Leave and Holidays","\u002Fen-rw\u002Fwork-in-rwanda\u002Flabour-law\u002Fannual-leave-and-holidays",{"id":78,"short_title":7,"title":79,"url":80},829,"Contracts and Dismissals","\u002Fen-rw\u002Fwork-in-rwanda\u002Flabour-law\u002Fcontracts-and-dismissals",{"id":82,"short_title":7,"title":83,"url":84},830,"Notice and Severance","\u002Fen-rw\u002Fwork-in-rwanda\u002Flabour-law\u002Fcontracts-and-dismissals\u002Fnotice-and-severance",{"id":86,"short_title":7,"title":87,"url":88},831,"Family Responsibilities","\u002Fen-rw\u002Fwork-in-rwanda\u002Flabour-law\u002Ffamily-responsibilities",{"id":90,"short_title":7,"title":91,"url":92},832,"Maternity and Work","\u002Fen-rw\u002Fwork-in-rwanda\u002Flabour-law\u002Fmaternity-and-work",{"id":94,"short_title":7,"title":95,"url":96},833,"Job Protection","\u002Fen-rw\u002Fwork-in-rwanda\u002Flabour-law\u002Fmaternity-and-work\u002Fjob-protection",{"id":98,"short_title":7,"title":99,"url":100},834,"Breastfeeding","\u002Fen-rw\u002Fwork-in-rwanda\u002Flabour-law\u002Fmaternity-and-work\u002Fbreastfeeding",{"id":102,"short_title":7,"title":103,"url":104},835,"Health and Safety","\u002Fen-rw\u002Fwork-in-rwanda\u002Flabour-law\u002Fhealth-and-safety",{"id":106,"short_title":7,"title":107,"url":108},836,"Sick Leave","\u002Fen-rw\u002Fwork-in-rwanda\u002Flabour-law\u002Fsick-leave",{"id":110,"short_title":7,"title":111,"url":112},837,"Work Injury Benefits","\u002Fen-rw\u002Fwork-in-rwanda\u002Flabour-law\u002Fsick-leave\u002Fwork-injury-benefits",{"id":114,"short_title":7,"title":115,"url":116},838,"Social Security","\u002Fen-rw\u002Fwork-in-rwanda\u002Flabour-law\u002Fsocial-security",{"id":118,"short_title":7,"title":119,"url":120},839,"Unemployment Benefits","\u002Fen-rw\u002Fwork-in-rwanda\u002Flabour-law\u002Fsocial-security\u002Funemployment-benefits",{"id":122,"short_title":7,"title":26,"url":123},840,"\u002Fen-rw\u002Fwork-in-rwanda\u002Flabour-law\u002Ffair-treatment",{"id":125,"short_title":7,"title":126,"url":127},841,"Sexual Harassment","\u002Fen-rw\u002Fwork-in-rwanda\u002Flabour-law\u002Ffair-treatment\u002Fsexual-harassment",{"id":4,"short_title":7,"title":6,"url":9},{"id":130,"short_title":7,"title":131,"url":132},843,"Forced Labour","\u002Fen-rw\u002Fwork-in-rwanda\u002Flabour-law\u002Ffair-treatment\u002Fforced-labour",{"id":134,"short_title":7,"title":135,"url":136},844,"Trade Unions","\u002Fen-rw\u002Fwork-in-rwanda\u002Flabour-law\u002Ftrade-unions",[],"\u003Cp>MyWage is WageIndicator. Same organisation, same information, new look!\u003C\u002Fp>"]