This project explores the extent of children's domestic work and child labour in domestic work in Haiti, the living conditions of child domestic workers and social processes pertaining to children's work and mobility.
During the past two decades, stories of child domestic workers in Haiti have reached international media. The Creole term 'restavek', which formerly was used to refer to children who 'live with' their employers or non-parental caretakers, is increasingly perceived as stigmatising in Haiti.
Following the 2010 earthquake, reports of increasing recruitment of children into domestic service abound. Through an extensive, countrywide, household survey, qualitative and ethnographic field research methods and analysis of existing material, this study seeks to re-assess the extent of, and processes pertaining to, child domestic labour in Haiti.
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It also aims to explore characteristics of the living conditions of children in domestic service, children's way in and out of domestic working life, their experiences and ambitions regarding migration, work and education, as well as profiles of employers, recruiters and children's original households. In addition, existing activities by organisations working with and for current and former child domestics will be mapped, and the methodologies of these initiatives assessed.The study is coordinated by Unicef and supported by the Haitian government and a wide range of local and international organizations and international donors (see list below). The aim of the overall project is to propose a strategic intervention framework for the development and implementation of programs and projects as regards children in domestic work in Haiti. The project will be carried out in dialogue with civil society, governmental and non-governmental institutions that work on child welfare issues in Haiti.
The study is implemented by Fafo Institute for Applied International Studies, in cooperation with Institut Haïtien de L'Enfance (IHE) and consultant Helen Spraos. IHE is a research centre which specialises in the documentation of child welfare and procures national statistics on health. IHE will carry out the quantitative survey throughout Haiti. Helen Spraos will conduct the institutional analysis of current child domesticity project activities. Fafo will be responsible for methodology and tools development, qualitative data collection, analysis and report writing, and quality assurance on all parts of the project. Fafo researchers involved in the project are Tone Sommerfelt, Anne Hatløy, Henriette Lunde, Jing Liu and Jon Pedersen.
Fafo has previously done research on child domestic labour and youth labour migration in Haiti, from 2000 onwards. The current project enables a longitudinal study of changes in child and youth labour in Haiti, especially following the 2010 earthquake. It seeks to approach the following, overarching, research questions: How does children's and youths' forced and voluntary migration interconnect with their working life engagements and exploitation? How are patterns of children's work and migration affected by sweeping changes in welfare in society more generally? How do the dynamics of human mobility interconnect with children's, youth's and adults' own aspirations, and with poverty? Thematically, the project relates to studies of labour, household production systems, gender, social inequality, youth and childhood, politics of childhood and human mobility.
Funders and partners:
Aba Sistèm Restavèk (ASR) (lack webpage)
AVSI Foundation
Care International
Catholic Relief Service (CRS)
Church World Service (CWS)
enpaK (lack webpage)
Fondation Maurice A. Sixto (FMAS)
Free the Slaves
The French Government
Handicap International
The Haitian Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour (MAST)
Institut du Bien-Etre Social et de Recherches (IBESR)
Institut Haitien de l’Enfance (IHE) (lack webpage)
International Labour Organization (ILO)
International Organization for Migration (IOM)
International Rescue Committee (IRC)
Kinder not Hilfe
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
Plan International
Réseau National de Défense des Droits Humains (RNDDH)
Restavek Freedom
Save the Children
Terres des Hommes (TdH)
UN Women
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
The United Nations Stabiliastion Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH)
World Vision