Human Trafficking in [Algeria] [other countries]
Street Children in [Algeria] [other countries]
Child Prostitution in [Algeria] [other countries]
 

Child Prostitution

The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children

In the first ten years of the 21^st Century - 2000 to 2009

Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria The hydrocarbons sector is the backbone of the economy, accounting for roughly 60% of budget revenues, 30% of GDP, and over 95% of export earnings. Algeria has the eighth-largest reserves of natural gas in the world and is the fourth-largest gas exporter; it ranks 15th in oil reserves. Sustained high oil prices in recent years have helped improve Algeria's financial and macroeconomic indicators. The government's continued efforts to diversify the economy by attracting foreign and domestic investment outside the energy sector, however, has had little success in reducing high unemployment and improving living standards. [The World Factbook, U.S.C.I.A. 2009]

CAUTION:  The following links and accompanying text have been culled from the web to illuminate the situation in Algeria. Some of these links may lead to websites that present allegations that are unsubstantiated, misleading or even false. No attempt has been made to validate their authenticity or to verify their content.

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Protection Project Country Report [DOC]

GOVERNMENT RESPONSES - The government of Algeria acknowledges that prostitution, especially child prostitution, is a serious problem in the country and reports that the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Health are taking some measures to assist young women who are in prostitution and that the Ministry of Interior is investigating the problem of child prostitution.  The government recognizes that the problem of trafficking in persons is inseparable from the problem of prostitution.  However, there have been few campaigns to raise public awareness of the issue of commercial sexual exploitation, which is still regarded as a taboo subject by the vast majority of the society.

There are several government-sponsored victim assistance initiatives. Those initiatives include rape crisis centers and programs sponsored by the Ministries of Justice and Health to assist young girls involved in prostitution and other forms of sexual exploitation.

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U.S. Dept of Labor Bureau of International Labor Affairs

INCIDENCE AND NATURE OF CHILD LABOR - Statistics on the number of working children under the age of 15 are unavailable. Children are found working either in part-time or full-time employment in small workshops, on family farms and in informal trade. Commercial sexual exploitation is a problem, but the extent of the problem in not clear.

Bur of Democracy, Human Rights & Labor - Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2005

CHILDREN - In April a government office reported that in 2004, approximately 4,554 children younger than 16 were abused, of whom 2,306 were hospitalized for injuries stemming from abuse, 1,386 were victims of sexual abuse, and 53 were victims of incest.

Concluding Observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) - 2005

[78] The Committee expresses its deep concern at the information that child prostitution is increasing and that not only girls, but also boys who work as vendors, couriers or domestic servants, are particularly vulnerable to sexual exploitation.

Commercial Sexual Exploitation Of Children - Middle East/North Africa Region

These countries also have in common, however, a number of constraints that have hindered preparation of national plans of action. In all the countries of the region, there is cultural resistance to addressing the problem because the subject is largely taboo. Often the issue is dealt with more generally under headings such as ‘violence’ and ‘trauma’. This means that there has been no regional consensus on defining CSEC in law; in some countries, for example, it is looked upon as an indecent act, in others as rape, although in all 20 countries there is some section of the penal code that can be invoked against sexual abuse and exploitation.

Global March Resource Centre - Algeria [PDF]

CHILD PROSTITUTION - In Algeria, like most of Africa, child prostitution is increasing. Not only girls, but also boys who work as vendors, couriers or domestic helps, are vulnerable to sexual exploitation in the cities. - htcp

Protection Project Country Report [DOC]

GOVERNMENT RESPONSES - The government of Algeria acknowledges that prostitution, especially child prostitution, is a serious problem in the country and reports that the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Health are taking some measures to assist young women who are in prostitution and that the Ministry of Interior is investigating the problem of child prostitution.  The government recognizes that the problem of trafficking in persons is inseparable from the problem of prostitution.  However, there have been few campaigns to raise public awareness of the issue of commercial sexual exploitation, which is still regarded as a taboo subject by the vast majority of the society.

There are several government-sponsored victim assistance initiatives. Those initiatives include rape crisis centers and programs sponsored by the Ministries of Justice and Health to assist young girls involved in prostitution and other forms of sexual exploitation.

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Human Trafficking in [Algeria] [other countries]
Street Children in [Algeria] [other countries]
Child Prostitution in [Algeria] [other countries]