Notes on levels and patterns of child labour and child work in Botswana

Abstract

This paper uses the 2011 Botswana Population and Housing Census (PHS) to document the levels and patterns of child labour and child work in Botswana. The results show that only 2.1% of children aged 12 to 17 were involved in some kind of employment. The percentage of children involved in child labour is highest among older children, those heading households or children classifi ed as spouses of heads of household. It is also high among those who were not related to head of households, and orphaned children. Other signifi cant variations in likelihood of child labour were children who ever been in unions, children affi liated to non-Christian religions, children residing in Kweneng West District, Ngwaketse West District, and Ghanzi District, as well as children whose home language was ‘Zezuru’/Shona, Ndebele and Sesarwa.