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C S E C

The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children

In the early years of the 21st Century, 2000 to 2025              gvnet.com/childprostitution/CentralAfricanRep.htm

The Central African Republic

Subsistence agriculture, together with forestry, remains the backbone of the economy of the Central African Republic (CAR), with more than 70% of the population living in outlying areas. The agricultural sector generates more than half of GDP.

Distribution of income is extraordinarily unequal. Grants from France and the international community can only partially meet humanitarian needs.  [The World Factbook, U.S.C.I.A. 2009]

Description: Description: CentralAfricanRep

CAUTION:  The following links and accompanying text have been culled from the web to illuminate the situation in the Central African Republic.  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.

HOW TO USE THIS WEBPAGE

Students

If you are looking for material to use in a term-paper, you are advised to scan the postings on this page and others to see which aspects of child prostitution are of particular interest to you.  You might be interested in exploring how children got started, how they survive, and how some succeed in leaving.  Perhaps your paper could focus on runaways and the abuse that led to their leaving.  Other factors of interest might be poverty, rejection, drug dependence, coercion, violence, addiction, hunger, neglect, etc.  On the other hand, you might choose to write about the manipulative and dangerous adults who control this activity.  There is a lot to the subject of Child Prostitution.  Scan other countries as well as this one.  Draw comparisons between activity in adjacent countries and/or regions.  Meanwhile, check out some of the Term-Paper resources that are available on-line.

Teachers

Check out some of the Resources for Teachers attached to this website.

*** FEATURED ARTICLE ***

Crime and Society -  A comparative Criminology tour of the world - CAR

Dr. Robert Winslow, A Comparative Criminology tour of the world, San Diego State University

www-rohan.sdsu.edu/faculty/rwinslow/africa/central_african_republic.html

[accessed 12 Aug  2013]

CHILDREN - Some girls enter prostitution to earn money for the survival of the family. The presence of international peacekeeping forces in the capital has aggravated the problem of teenage prostitution. Child prostitution increased in the capital until late in the year, when MINURCA began its withdrawal from the country. The Government did not address these problems during the year.

 

*** ARCHIVES ***

Human Rights Reports » 2019 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices

U.S. Dept of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, March 10, 2020

www.state.gov/reports/2019-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/central-african-republic/

[accessed 23 August 2020]

SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN - During the year the government cabinet drafted the Child Protection Act. The draft legislation has a series of measures that address the exploitation of minors. The legislation was at the National Assembly for approval ratification at year’s end.

There are no statutory rape or child pornography laws to protect minors. The family code prescribes penalties for the commercial exploitation of children, including imprisonment and financial penalties. The minimum age of sexual consent is 18, but it was rarely observed.

Armed groups committed sexual violence against children and used girls as sex slaves (see sections 1.g. and 2.d.).

In April MINUSCA and the NGO Justice Rapid Response sponsored a three-day workshop for 26 child protection workers in Bangui. The workshop provided training to strengthen monitoring, investigating, and reporting skills necessary to address crimes against children.

2018 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor

Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor, and Human Trafficking, Bureau of International Labor Affairs, US Dept of Labor, 2019

www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ILAB/child_labor_reports/tda2018/ChildLaborReportBook.pdf

[accessed 22 August 2020]

Note:: Also check out this country’s report in the more recent edition DOL Worst Forms of Child Labor

[page 317]

Although the government worked with the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in CAR (MINUSCA), UNICEF, and other partner agencies to demobilize and reintegrate children into community life, there were allegations of abuse and commercial sexual exploitation lodged against UN peacekeepers. (2-4,15,22-24) As of September 2018, approximately 643,000 people were displaced within CAR. (25)

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

UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, 6 October 2000

www1.umn.edu/humanrts/crc/centralafrica2000.html

[accessed 28 January 2011]

[84] The Committee is concerned that children may be at risk of being sold or made to engage in prostitution.

The Protection Project - Central African Republic [DOC]

The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), The Johns Hopkins University

www.protectionproject.org/human_rights_reports/report_documents/car.doc

[accessed 2009]

FORMS OF TRAFFICKING - Children from the Central African Republic who are trafficked to Cameroon are paid as little as 3,000 CFA francs per month and subjected to hard chores lasting up to 18 hours a day. They are undernourished and are often sexually abused.

Worst Forms of Child Labour Report 2005 - Central Africa Republic

Global March Against Child Labour, 2005

beta.globalmarch.org/worstformsreport/world/central-african-republic.html

[accessed 12 September 2012]

CHILD PROSTITUTION - Child prostitution remained a problem. Some girls entered prostitution to earn money for their families.

*** EARLIER EDITIONS OF SOME OF THE ABOVE ***

 

Human Rights Reports » 2005 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices

U.S. Dept of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, March 8, 2006

2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61560.htm

[accessed 7 February 2020]

TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS – Child prostitution remained a problem, particularly in urban centers. Some girls entered prostitution to earn money for their families.

The Department of Labor’s 2004 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor

U.S. Dept of Labor Bureau of International Labor Affairs, 2005

www.dol.gov/ilab/media/reports/iclp/tda2004/central-african-republic.htm

[accessed 28 January 2011]

Note:: Also check out this country’s report in the more recent edition DOL Worst Forms of Child Labor

INCIDENCE AND NATURE OF CHILD LABOR - Children in the Central African Republic are also involved in prostitution.

CHILD LABOR LAWS AND ENFORCEMENT - Minor’s brigades have been established to punish persons responsible for forcing children into prostitution.  However, few cases have been prosecuted due to the reluctance of victims’ families to press charges.

All material used herein reproduced under the fair use exception of 17 USC § 107 for noncommercial, nonprofit, and educational use.  PLEASE RESPECT COPYRIGHTS OF COMPONENT ARTICLES.  Cite this webpage as: Patt, Prof. Martin, "Child Prostitution – Central African Republic", http://gvnet.com/childprostitution/CentralAfricanRep.htm, [accessed <date>]