Turkmenistan Takes Child and Forced Labour Awareness to Local Communities

Turkmen legislation permits certain forms of light work for children under defined conditions, while work that threatens their health, safety, education or development is prohibited.

Around 1,500 people from 35 etraps, or districts, across Turkmenistan have taken part in a three-month awareness campaign focused on preventing child labour and forced labour, with particular attention given to working practices during the country's cotton harvest. Organized by the International Labour Organization (ILO) with national stakeholders and funded by the European Union (EU), the initiative brought practical information on labour rights and legal protections directly to communities where prevention efforts can have an immediate impact.

Running from 12 June, World Day Against Child Labour, until 12 August 2026, the programme included 15 national and local events. It opened with a capacity-building session, continued with 13 awareness events across different velayats and etraps, and concluded with a recap seminar designed to review lessons from the campaign and identify areas where further outreach is needed.

Local communities learn how to identify prohibited labour

Events were organized in Tejen, Gokdepe, Ak Bugday, Kerki, Sayat, Turkmenabat, Mary, Yoloten, Bayramaly, Dashoguz, Akdepe, Koneurgench and Gyzylarbat, while representatives from another 20 etraps also joined the sessions. The wide geographical reach brought together local authorities, government ministries, schools, healthcare institutions, farmers' associations, employers' groups, workers' organizations and other community stakeholders.

A major part of the discussions focused on helping participants understand where acceptable work ends, and child labour begins. Turkmen legislation permits certain forms of light work for children under defined conditions, while work that threatens their health, safety, education or development is prohibited. Participants were also reminded that children cannot legally be involved in the annual cotton harvest, an important message in communities connected to agricultural production.

The sessions gave participants practical guidance on recognizing situations that could place children at risk, making the campaign more than a discussion about legal rules. Building a shared understanding among teachers, health workers, farmers, employers, officials and workers can help communities identify harmful practices earlier and prevent children from being drawn into unsuitable work.

Cotton harvest discussions put voluntary work at the centre

Forced labour prevention formed another central part of the initiative, particularly in relation to cotton picking. Participants discussed measures introduced by the Government of Turkmenistan to eliminate and prevent forced mobilization during the harvest and reviewed national laws protecting people from being required to work against their will.

The core principle presented during the sessions was straightforward: employment must be voluntary and carried out without the threat of punishment or other forms of pressure. Fair and safe working conditions were also emphasized as essential parts of decent work, giving participants a clearer picture of what responsible labour practices should look like during busy agricultural periods.

ILO Project Manager in Turkmenistan Oxana Lipcanu described awareness-raising as a practical prevention tool, noting that bringing national expertise closer to workers and local communities helps reinforce a consistent message that children must be protected from hazardous work while adults should be able to work voluntarily under fair and safe conditions.

Local outreach set to remain part of prevention efforts

The campaign was delivered with members of the Working Group of the Interdepartmental Commission on Ensuring the Implementation of Turkmenistan's International Obligations in the Field of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, along with representatives from relevant ministries and state institutions. Their involvement connected national labour commitments with the people and organizations responsible for applying those principles at the local level.

Participants agreed that awareness activities should continue beyond the three-month campaign, supported by practical materials that can be distributed among communities, workplaces and institutions. Continued outreach could help workers understand their rights, give employers clearer guidance on their responsibilities and strengthen community awareness of practices that may amount to child or forced labour.

The activities are part of an EU-funded ILO project running from 2026 to 2027, combining national policy support with practical action in communities. Its work places particular attention on Turkmenistan's cotton sector while supporting the broader goal of decent work, stronger labour protections and workplaces where adults participate freely and children are protected from harmful labour.