Latin America and the Caribbean

Halting child exploitation

Over 40% of the population of Latin America and the Caribbean is under 18 years of age. Poverty, violence and a lack of opportunities for education, employment and self-development are among the factors that make children increasingly vulnerable to various types of exploitation.

Over 95 million children and adolescents currently live in “high risk” conditions within this region, according to UNICEF. Of these, an estimated 36 million children currently work for their own subsistence, many of them forced to do so, while exposed to deplorable working conditions and significant if not deadly hazards.

This situation is coupled with an alarming increase in the sexual exploitation of children and adolescents. Actions to protect children, prosecute sexual predators, and guarantee children's rights must become a leading concern and priority of governments, NGOs and civil society as a whole, within this region.

The United Nations' Convention on the Rights of the Child contains numerous articles for preventing child exploitation. Moreover, it emphases a number of child rights that, if achieved, can eradicate their exploitation and ensure their safe and healthy development.

Examples of work undertaken by World Vision in this area include Peru, where child advocacy and protection offices have been established in communities and municipalities in order to receive and process cases of child abuse and mistreatment. In Colombia, over 7,000 families have taken part in a “Good Treatment” campaign,” focused on ending the mistreatment of children. In Bolivia, an agreement has been signed between World Vision and the Vice-Ministry of Gender Affairs to establish child advocacy offices. And in Costa Rica, work is being carried out with rehabilitation centres for abused children.