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

Child Prostitution

The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children

The Sultanate of Oman [ Country-by-Country Reports ]

The Sultanate of Oman [map] is an independent sultanate located on the SE side of the Arabian peninsula, and bounded by the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. It was formerly known as Muscat and Oman. It is bordered by Yemen & Saudi Arabia (W), and by the United Arab Emirates (N). Its capital and largest city is Muscat. Oman is a middle-income economy in the Middle East with notable oil and gas resources, a substantial trade surplus, and low inflation. To reduce unemployment and limit dependence on foreign countries, the government is encouraging the replacement of expatriate workers with local people.

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

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

CHILD LABOR LAWS AND ENFORCEMENT- The Penal Code assigns a penalty of at least 5 years imprisonment for individuals found guilty of enticing a minor into an act of prostitution.

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

CHILDREN - There were no reports of child prostitution. Child labor existed in the informal, subsistence, and family business sectors of the economy; however, it was not a problem in the organized labor market.

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

[65] While noting that the domestic legislation prohibits forced child prostitution, manufacturing, acquiring or distribution of pornographic materials, bondage and slave trade, the Committee is concerned about the potential of the State party to be or become a destination country of trafficking in children owing to the large number of migrants in search of employment. It notes with concern the lack of data and the lack of research on the prevalence of national and cross-border trafficking, child prostitution and child pornography. Concern is also expressed about the lack of a comprehensive procedure to identify children who may be victims of trafficking and the absence of adequate recovery and reintegration services for these victims.

Concluding Observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) - 2001

[55] The Committee encourages the State party to ratify the Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, and on the involvement of children in armed conflict.

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

www.ecpat.net/eng/Ecpat_inter/publication/other/english/Doc_page/ecpat_5th_a4a_2001_full.doc

[B] COUNTRY UPDATES – OMAN – No attempt has been made to develop a National Plan of Action in regard to the commercial sexual exploitation of children. This is mainly a result of the widespread belief that CSEC is not a serious problem in the Sultanate of Oman.

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. - htcp

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

www.ecpat.net/eng/ecpat_inter/Publication/Other/English/Html_page/4th_a4a/English/Mdeast.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 [Oman] [other countries]
Street Children in [Oman] [other countries]
Child Prostitution in [Oman] [other countries]