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Zimbabwe
Child Rights and Business guidance for Chinese Companies Operating in Zimbabwe
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Proposed indicators
Female employees are entitled to three maternity leave periods of 90 days each time when they are employed by the same employer. During each maternity leave period, 60% of the salary will be paid, and other benefits will be granted as usual, and one hour of work will be reduced every day for half a year after maternity leave.
Decent work for parents and young workers
Child labour
- Minimum age: The minimum age for apprenticeship and other employment is 16.
- Hazardous work: Children under 18 years of age may not be employed in hazardous work, which is defined as work that is likely to jeopardise child health, safety or morals.
- Light work: There is no provision for light work for children under 16 years.
Maternity and paternity protections
- Parental leave: Under the Labour Relations Act, women who have served one year with an employer are entitled to 98 days of maternity leave. Women may only take maternity leave three times with the same employer, and only once in a 24-month period. Fathers are not entitled to paternity leave.
- Pay and benefits: Maternity leave is fully paid by the employer.
- Job protection: There are no known laws protecting workers from dismissal on the grounds of pregnancy or maternity leave. During maternity leave, a woman's normal benefits and entitlements, including seniority and advancement, must continue uninterrupted and period of service should not be considered interrupted.
Decent work for parents:
- Health and safety: Employers must provide special health and safety protections to women during pregnancy. Employers cannot require pregnant workers to work overtime within two months of their due date, or to perform work that might be detrimental to the worker's health or the health of the unborn child. Pregnant and nursing workers are also exempt from working at night. Employers must provide pregnant workers with alternative employment on terms and conditions not less favourable than previous employment.
- Working hours: Normal working hours are governed by collective bargaining agreements. The model collective bargaining agreement recommends a maximum of 8 hours per day, and 40 hours per week. Normal working hours for young workers are 6 per day. There are no known provisions on flexible working arrangements for workers with family responsibilities.
- Breastfeeding: Female workers are entitled to paid nursing breaks of at least one hour or two half hour for the period during which she is nursing, or until her child reaches 6 months, whichever is longer.
Marketplace
Marketing and advertising
- Marketing to children: There are no known regulations on marketing to children in Zimbabwe. There is a self-regulatory body, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASAZIM), which has a Code of Standards drafted on the basis of the International Code of Advertising Practice prepared by the International Chamber of Commerce. Members of ASAZIM are required to adhere to the Code, but the Code does not address marketing to children.
- HFSS foods: There are no known guidelines or restrictions on marketing of high fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) foods.
- Breastmilk substitutes: Zimbabwe has adopted all of the provisions of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes into national law, including restrictions on advertising and promotion.
Product safety
- Consumer protection: Product safety is regulated by the newly enacted Consumer Protection Act (2019). The Consumer Protection Commission is responsible for enforcing the Act; however, there are no known regulations specific to product safety for children.
Child online safety
- Child sexual abuse material (CSAM): National laws prohibit child sexual abuse material (CSAM), but do not specifically address technology-facilitate offences over the internet. Internet service providers (ISP) are also not required to report suspected child pornography to law enforcement agencies. Childline Zimbabwe maintains a helpline; however, there is no agency that offers specific support for children's online protection.
- Access to pornography: Possession and distribution of pornography is illegal in Zimbabwe, although it is not clear whether ISPs are required to block or filter access.
Community and Environment
Environment
- Impact assessment: To ensure that projects minimise harmful impacts on the environment, national laws require environmental impact assessments.
- Climate change: Zimbabwe has submitted an NDC (nationally determined contribution) to the UNFCC committing to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 33% by 2030.
- Resource governance: Zimbabwe is not a member of the Extractives Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI).
Land rights
- Land tenure: An estimated 43% of Zimbabwe's total land area is made up of community lands. The government does not recognise the existence of indigenous peoples, and national laws make limited progress towards addressing indigenous and community land tenure.
- Free, prior and informed consent (FPIC): National laws do not address the principles of FPIC.
Security arrangements
- Child soldiers: The minimum voluntary enlistment age is 18, and there were no reports of state or non-state groups using children in hostilities.
- Private military and/or security companies: The government does not participate in the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights, although there are some regulations on the activities of private military and/or security companies (Private Investigators and Security Guards Control Act 1996).
Child rights
- Education: Primary education is free and compulsory as a constitutional right; however, the ongoing economic crisis has meant that universal education has not yet been achieved.
- Healthcare: The Constitution recognises the right to health. The government maintains a public healthcare system; however, healthcare delivery has been severely compromised by the ongoing economic crisis.