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

Child Prostitution

The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children

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

Republic of Kiribati

A remote country of 33 scattered coral atolls, Kiribati has few natural resources and is one of the least developed Pacific Islands. Commercially viable phosphate deposits were exhausted at the time of independence from the UK in 1979. Copra and fish now represent the bulk of production and exports. The economy has fluctuated widely in recent years. Economic development is constrained by a shortage of skilled workers, weak infrastructure, and remoteness from international markets. Tourism provides more than one-fifth of GDP.  [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 Kiribati.  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.

*** FEATURED ARTICLE ***

Pacific Island children risk sex abuse

Children in Pacific Island countries are at high risk of being traded for sex by family members and friends, a United Nations study has found, Stuff NZ reports.  The report from studies in five Pacific Island countries found an alarming degree of sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and that "children are most at risk in their homes and communities and with people they know and trust".

The report, by the UN Children's Fund Pacific, the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific and End Child Prostitution, and Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes, is based on studies in 2004 and 2005 in Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

The report in its summary said the five studies confirmed that in each country children were sexually abused by family members and neighbours, and that child prostitution, child pornography, early marriage, child sex tourism and trafficking occurred.

 

*** ARCHIVES ***

U.S. Dept of Labor Bureau of International Labor Affairs [PDF]

CHILD LABOR LAWS AND ENFORCEMENT - The Penal Code criminalizes the procurement of minors under 15 years of age for the purpose of sexual relations and establishes a penalty of 2 years of imprisonment for such offenses. The Penal Code also bans parents or guardians from prostituting children under 15 years old. Child labor laws are enforced by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Employment.

Bur of Democracy, Human Rights & Labor - Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2006

CHILDREN - UNICEF and other international NGOs identified child prostitution as a problem. Specifically, workers on foreign fishing vessels often exploited underage girls. A study conducted in June 2005 by the National Youth Commission of the Republic of Korea and a Korea-based children's rights group, and a regional report on commercial sexual exploitation of children in the Pacific published during the year by UNICEF, both highlighted commercial sexual exploitation of underage girls by crew members of foreign fishing vessels that stopped in Kiribati. The reports estimated that approximately 20 to 80 girls were involved in such prostitution. Some of the girls worked as prostitutes in bars frequented by crewmembers, and local I-Kiribati often acted as facilitators, delivering girls to the boats. According to the reports the girls generally received cash, food, or goods in exchange for sexual services. The lack of a legal ban on prostitution hindered police efforts to stem the practice, which continued. During the year the government, with assistance from UNICEF and other NGOs, was working on a national plan to combat child prostitution and child sexual abuse.

Concluding Observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) - 2006

[60] The Committee is concerned at the reported increase in commercial sexual exploitation of children in Kiribati.

Fish and sex: Oceania's child prostitution epidemic

There is no law against prostitution in Kiribati, which was highlighted recently when 80 girls were rounded up and brought before a local court before being released. Yet there is growing concern that Kiribati maybe breaching international conventions on child protection since many of the girls are only 14 and 15 years of age. UNICEF is preparing to release a damning document relating to underage prostitution in several Pacific countries, including Kiribati.

KATHY - One girl involved in the trade, "Kathy", claims girls as young as 12 are involved.

"I know about one 12 year old girl who was taken out to a fishing boat by her aunty and she has disappeared. Her family are very worried since she has been missing now for 4 months".

Kathy is a pretty 21 year old girl who lives with her father, an unemployed former government worker, in a crowded settlement near the Betio port on south Tarawa. She claims there are many local girls involved in the trade and they all have different motivations.

"It all depends because some they really need money to support their families with food, so they feel some pressure. Other girls need money to buy drinks for themselves and friends when they want to go out to the bars".

Kathy says that even though their have been crackdowns by local authorities the girls are not scared of getting caught by police because "their family are supporting them".

‘Ugly Koreans’ Continue Sordid Antics in South Seas

After a fact-finding visit to the South Pacific island nation of Kiribati, the National Youth Commission revealed that Korean fishermen had not stopped buying sex from young girls there. It’s been two years since the commission paid a visit to Kiribati after child prostitution there grabbed international attention. During their latest trip, seven out of 24 female prostitutes the commission met were between 14 to 18 years of age.

Pacific Island children risk sex abuse

Children in Pacific Island countries are at high risk of being traded for sex by family members and friends, a United Nations study has found, Stuff NZ reports.  The report from studies in five Pacific Island countries found an alarming degree of sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and that "children are most at risk in their homes and communities and with people they know and trust".

The report, by the UN Children's Fund Pacific, the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific and End Child Prostitution, and Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes, is based on studies in 2004 and 2005 in Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

The report in its summary said the five studies confirmed that in each country children were sexually abused by family members and neighbours, and that child prostitution, child pornography, early marriage, child sex tourism and trafficking occurred.

Report on Pacific Regional Workshop on Combating Poverty & CSEC [PDF]

www1001.unescap.org/esid/gad/Issues/CSEC/Pacific_Regional_Consultation_report_Sept2003.pdf

 [p.40] CSEC - There have been reported cases of CSEC in Kiribati. Two nightclubs operating on Tarawa are known to have used young girls for business promotional purposes and the Social Welfare Division suspects that Korean fishing vessels may be involved in CSEC.

Child Sexual Abuse and Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in the Pacific [PDF]

3.2 TYPES AND PATTERNS OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE - The Kiribati study reported that there were more than 15 cases of “defilement” (sexual intercourse with a girl under 13) between 1999 and 2004, with four cases of child rape and one attempted child rape between May and September 2000.

Gender and HIV/AIDS in the Asia and Pacific Region [PDF]

[p.7]  B. PACIFIC ISLANDS - Korea’s National Youth Commission has interviewed residents in Kiribati, Korean fishermen, and others in collaboration with End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes' (ECPAT)-Korea, and found several underage sex workers in the bars solicited by the fishermen.

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