publications

Bottom of the Ladder

Exploitation and Abuse of Girl Domestic Workers in Guinea

Related Material

Download PDF file
of Summary and Recommendations
(104 kb, 15 pages)
Download text-only PDF file
(414 kb, 104 pages)

Download PDF file of report
(7.1 Mb, 110 pages)
Download PDF of report with cover
(7.5 Mb, 112 pages)

Bottom of the Ladder - in French

Purchase a printed version of this report

More on Human Rights Watch's work on Guinea

More on Human Rights Watch's work on Children's Rights

More on Human Rights Watch's work on Women's Rights

Map of Guinea

Map of Mali

Summary

Recommendations

Key recommendations to the Government of Guinea

Detailed recommendations

Methodology and Terminology

Methodological challenges

Terminology

I. The Context: Girl Childhood and Migration in West Africa

Poverty and economic crisis

Gender roles and unequal access to education

Migration and trafficking in West Africa

II. Recruitment into Domestic Work

Recruitment of girls from Guinea

Recruitment of girls from Mali

Recruitment of refugee children from the region

Risks connected to travel

III. Life of Girl Domestic Workers in Lower Guinea

The double role of employer and guardian

Labor exploitation of girl domestic workers

Psychological, physical and sexual abuse

Denial of education

Trafficking

Uncertain future: What girls do after ending domestic service

IV. The Legal Framework

Guinean law

International law

V. Legal, Policy and Programmatic Responses to Protect Child Domestic Workers

The political and economic context

Policies and programs to protect children from abuse, labor exploitation and trafficking

Prosecution of child abuse, exploitation and trafficking

Improving girls’ access to education

VI. Conclusion

Acknowledgements

June 2007 Volume 19, No.8 (A)