The commercial sexual exploitation of children – basically prostituting a child - – it’s something too ugly to even seriously consider – but it does happen and today the National Committee for Families and Children held a workshop raise awareness about this issue which they say is more prevalent that we’d care to admit. Jacqueline Godwin reports.
Jacqueline Godwin Reporting,
In terms of numbers it is not certain just how many children in Belize are victims of commercial sexual exploitation but a study conducted two years ago reveals that there is cause for concern.
Judith Alpuche, CEO – Ministry of Human Development
“Certainly we are concerned about the trends we are seeing vis a vie the tourism industry where it seems that networks are organizing to provide sex tourism involving minors. The young girl gets a call at school, she fakes illness, and then she is picked up by a taxi driver to provide services. So that is the kind of movements that we are seeing that really we need to deal with rather urgently and are dealing with with these of programs you are seeing.
The other area that has been there for a long time is the whole sugar daddy and sugar momma situation where we do have adults involved in transactional sex with mostly teenagers. So basically an older woman or man will pay school fees and will material goods to a teenager in exchange for sex. Many of these older people will pay utility bills and house rent and buy appliances for the home etc., so this is done with the complicity of parents.
We know a lot of poor people who do not sell their children, who try and
struggle everyday in this country to do right by their children. But it really has to do a lot with opportunities, it has to do with the building of self-esteem and self worth in educating children and young people about their rights.”
And one way in which it is hoped there will be a reduction in the number of children sexually exploited is through this regional documentary produced by the International Labour Organization and the International Programme for the Elimination of Child Labour. It was launched today at the final workshop for the ILO/IPEC Sub Regional Project on CSEC.
Nidia Zuniga, Project Officer
“The objective of the documentary is to be a tool to train people that are doing to be taking care of children and do it visually. We have the booklets, we have books, the articles but also to have something visual that can be used in training. Children shouldn’t be the ones blamed for this. First as a principle, children are the victims. Second, the family should be strengthened, how, through education, through getting jobs, so the children don’t have to be vulnerable on the streets.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
Where is it most prevalent in the country, I know the pilot project was done over the past two years and concentrated in the Belize and Cayo Districts I believe?
Judith Alpuche,
“Yes but you certainly see it all over. We are keeping a very good eye on San Pedro because of the sex tourism issues. Right now we are working along with a host of NGOs, chief among them the Youth Enhancement Services, to look at how can we do an intervention program in San Pedro the way we did in Belize City and Cayo.”
Case studies have revealed that in at least one home a child as young as four years old was sexually exploited. Such circumstances are not only being fought at the policy level and by concerned organizations but Belize’s first lady Kim Simplis–Barrow also committed herself to the fight against commercial sexual exploitation of children.
Kim Simplis–Barrow, First Lady
“CSEC will one of the focus areas of my activities. I will be undertaking public education and advocacy initiatives and I am vigorously pursuing the possibility of hosting the Central American First Lady’s Conference on this topic in 2010.”
Over the past two years, the Youth Enhancement Services, the National Committee for Families and Children and other organizations have worked closely with the ILO/IPEC sub regional project on the commercial sexual exploitation of children to help raise the awareness. Jacqueline Godwin reporting for 7News.
