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

Child Prostitution

The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children

State of Kuwait [ Country-by-Country Reports ]

The State of Kuwait [map], an independent sheikhdom, is located on the NE corner of the Arabian peninsula, at the head of the Persian Gulf. It is bounded by Saudi Arabia (S) and by Iraq (N & W). Its capital is Al-Kuwait, or Kuwait. The modernization process of recent decades has put great stress on Kuwaiti society, sharpening tribal identities and reinforcing family, religious, linguistic and ethnic loyalties.

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

Bur of Democracy, Human Rights & Labor - Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2004

CHILDREN - There are a few unofficial homes for abused children nominally run by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor. There are credible reports that some caretakers abuse some of these children while they are living in these homes, or that they are used for prostitution. The conditions in these homes are reportedly very poor.

Concluding Observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) - 1998

[31] The Committee is concerned at the absence of data, information and comprehensive research on the issue of sexual abuse and exploitation of children.

Concluding Observations of the Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights

[41] The Committee recommends that the State party take effective measures to combat trafficking in persons, especially in women and children, by ensuring, inter alia, that those responsible for trafficking are prosecuted, and to ratify the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, of 2001. The Committee recommends that the State party establish support services for victims of trafficking and take steps to sensitize law enforcement officials and the general public to the gravity of this issue.

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

[B] COUNTRY UPDATES – KUWAIT – The Ministry of Justice states that all aspects of CSEC are prohibited under the Penal Law of Kuwait and there are very severe penalties. The State of Kuwait recognizes the shared responsibilities of the international community to eliminate the exploitation of children for sexual purposes.

A Step Forward [PDF]

No National Plan is being developed in Kuwait despite the fact that Kuwait did attend the World Congress. The government does not regard the commercial sexual exploitation of children as a problem because of the national morals derived from Islamic law. It does, however, adhere to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Charter of Arabic Child Rights.

Slavery of Children and women in Persian gulf countries

Exact number of victims is impossible to obtain, but according to an official source in UAE, there has been increase in the number of teen-age girls in prostitution (forced to work from Iran and other countries). The magnitude of the statistic conveys how rapidly this form of abuse has grown. The popular destinations for victims of the sex slave trade are the Arab countries in the Persian Gulf (UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar). Traffickers target girls between 13 and 17 to send to Arab countries. The number of Iranian women and girls who are deported from Persian Gulf countries indicates the Magnitude of the trade.

5.1 Middle East - State of CSEC/ Attitudes toward CSEC [PDF]

In the wealthy oil producing states, (e.g. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman etc), foreigners are often the unfortunate victims of commercial sexual exploitation. The financial ability to contribute to CSEC, the lack of legal protection measures for foreign children, and the low status of foreigners in society, contributes to CSEC. Additionally, the high numbers of male foreign workers in these countries create a large demand for prostitution.

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.

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