Human Trafficking in [Burkina Faso] [other countries]
Street Children in [Burkina Faso] [other countries]
Child Prostitution in [Burkina Faso] [other countries]
 

Child Prostitution

The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children

Burkina Faso [ Country-by-Country Reports ]

Burkina Faso [map] is West African republic where 56% of the population is under 18 years old and more than half of the inhabitants are women. It is bordered by Mali (W & N), Niger (NE), Benin (SE), and by Togo, Ghana, and Côte d'Ivoire (S). Ouagadougou is the capital and largest city. UNICEF Burkina Faso contributes to the provision of basic education for children aged between seven and 14 years old via initiatives such as the establishment of satellite schools. This has resulted in slight increases in enrolment rates for boys and girls, but these rates remain low, particularly for girls.

CAUTION:  The following links and accompanying text have been culled from the web to illuminate the situation in Burkina Faso. 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.

ECPAT – On-line form for reporting child prostitution and other sexual offences against children

Quick Search for Missing Children - Select Gender, Country (Burkina Faso) & Years Missing

National Plan of Action

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

INCIDENCE AND NATURE OF CHILD LABOR - Burkina Faso is a source, transit, and destination country for trafficked children. Studies indicate that a significant proportion of trafficking activity is internal. Children are trafficked into Burkina Faso’s two largest cities, Bobo-Dioulasso and Ouagadougou, to work as domestic servants, street vendors, in agriculture, and in prostitution.

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

TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS - Trafficked children were subject to violence, sexual abuse, forced prostitution, and deprivation of food, shelter, schooling, and medical care. Organized child trafficking networks existed throughout the country, and during the year security forces dismantled four such networks. Child trafficking networks cooperated with regional smuggling rings.

According to the 2004-05 report by the Protection of Infants and Adolescents office, security forces intercepted 921 trafficked children, more than half of whom were girls; 158 were destined for international trafficking.

Concluding Observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) - 2002

[58] The Committee is concerned about the increasing number of child victims of commercial sexual exploitation, including prostitution and pornography. Concern is also expressed at the insufficient programs for the physical and psychological recovery and social reintegration of child victims of such abuse and exploitation.

ECPAT: Fifth Report on implementation of the Agenda for Action [DOC]

[B] COUNTRY UPDATES – BURKINA FASO – There is no plan of action on CSEC in Burkina Faso. However, UNICEF in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Action is in the process of carrying out a study on CSEC. It will be completed by the end of August 2001, after which time activities on the development of a national plan will begin. It is hoped that a plan will be in place in time for the Second World Congress.

Report by Special Rapporteur [DOC]

[31] Sale of children is not specifically criminalized, but is repressed through other legal means including the criminalization of child labor and the removal or illegal transport of children.  Males or females in prostitution may receive prison sentences of 15 days to 2 months and a fine.  As a preventive measure, legislation prohibits the presence of minors in certain places, such as bars, nightclubs and cinemas. In 2001, investigations were carried out into 90 cases of sexual abuse and 23 cases of commercial sexual exploitation of children.

Women’s Anti-Discrimination Committee Takes Up Report Of Burkina Faso

COUNTRY RESPONSE - Regarding awareness of the Convention, a representative said the country had popularized it, distributed it throughout governmental structures, and was working on translating it.  A monitoring process had been established, and efforts made to ensure that the Convention was understood. As for trafficking, she knew of no child prostitution in the country.  Burkina Faso had ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which addressed child labor, and was also a State party to the Convention on the Rights of Women in Africa.

Identifying Gaps in Protection Capacity Burkina Faso [PDF]

[120] Particularly in the case of single-parent families, refugee women and girls are often exposed to the risk of exploitation and/or prostitution. When looking for work, and even when they manage to find paid employment, refugee women are exposed to the risk of sexual exploitation and harassment. Those who do not find work are sometimes forced into prostitution.

ECPAT: Trafficking in Children for Sexual Purposes

WEST AFRICA - Children are sent from Benin and Burkina Faso to Nigeria where they are forced to work as domestics. Some are exposed to sexual abuse and some find themselves in the commercial sex industry.

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Human Trafficking in [Burkina Faso] [other countries]
Street Children in [Burkina Faso] [other countries]
Child Prostitution in [Burkina Faso] [other countries]