Human Trafficking in  [Guinea-Bissau]  [other countries]
Street Children in  [Guinea-Bissau]  [other countries]
Child Prostitution in  [Guinea-Bissau]  [other countries]
 

Prevalence, Abuse & Exploitation of Street Children

Republic of Guinea-Bissau                                                       [ Country-by-Country Reports ]

The Republic of Guinea-Bissau [map] is located in W Africa and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean (W), by Senegal (N), and ny Guinea (E & S).  The country includes the nearby Bijagós (Bissagos) Archipelago and other islands in the Atlantic.  Bissau is its capital and its only large city.  One of the 10 poorest countries in the world, Guinea-Bissau depends mainly on farming and fishing.  The inequality of income distribution is one of the most extreme in the world. The government and international donors continue to work out plans to forward economic development from a lamentably low base.

 

CAUTION:  The following links and accompanying text have been culled from the web to illuminate the situation in Guinea-Bissau.  Some of these links may lead to websites that present allegations that are unsubstantiated or even false.  No attempt has been made to validate their authenticity or to verify their content.

Quick Search for Missing Children - Select Gender, Guinea-Bissau, and Years Missing

National Plan of Action

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

INCIDENCE AND NATURE OF CHILD LABOR - UNICEF estimated that 65.4 percent of children ages 5 to 14 years in Guinea-Bissau were working in 2000.  Children work in street trading, farming, and domestic labor.

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

CHILDREN - The government allocated limited resources for children's welfare and education. Public schooling was universal, compulsory until seven years of age, and free through the fourth grade. A 2003 UN Development Program study indicated that 60 percent of school-age children did not attend school, in large part because schools were closed for most or all of 2003 as a result of the government's failure to pay teachers' salaries.

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

[50] While noting the efforts underway to address this concern, the Committee is concerned that as noted in the State Party report, the economic exploitation of children is extremely serious and growing worse (paragraphs 250-253, SP report) and that, in particular (paragraph 142 SP report) the numbers of children working in the non-formal sector is increasing and that children are often compelled to perform the same work as adults and in highly difficult and dangerous conditions.

[52] The Committee is concerned at the number and situation of street children in urban regions of the State Party.

[54] The Committee is concerned by the lack of information regarding the activities of the very high proportion of children who do not go to school. There are indicators that these children may, in urban areas, be involved in prostitution or may spend much time on the street where they are vulnerable to many kinds of exploitation (for example, in drug-trafficking, sexual exploitation, drug abuse).

[56] Noting the State Party's efforts in this regard, the Committee is concerned that, as indicated in the State Party report, substance abuse by children is a major concern.

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

[B] COUNTRY UPDATES – GUINEA-BISSAU – Guinea-Bissau has an ever-increasing number of child laborers and street children. The economic crisis and instability are hitting children the hardest, resulting in a rise in child prostitution and child trafficking, especially to neighboring Senegal. NGOs think that although the issue of child trafficking has received some attention and publicity recently in West and Central Africa, trafficking of children from Guinea-Bissau has been largely ignored. The local press has also reported incidents of child prostitution.

ECPAT:  Guinea-Bissau

Guinea-Bissau is facing an ever-increasing number of child laborers and street children. As one of the poorest countries in the world, the economic crisis is hitting the children the hardest as most of them lack adequate social services like shelter, clean water, access to education and health care facilities.

Mercy Trucks West Africa Project

To truck medical aid and equipment 4,600 miles from the UK down through Europe, North Africa and across desert down to Guinea Bissau to set up Mercy Trucks West Africa

Projects concerning Orphans & Street children in GUINEA BISSAU1

1983-1999  Den Internationale Efterskole - Bustrup  (DIE-Bustrup)

1980-2000  SOS-Kinderdorf International

1.  The linked article has been taken down, moved or restricted

 

 

Human Trafficking in  [Guinea-Bissau]  [other countries]
Street Children in  [Guinea-Bissau]  [other countries]
Child Prostitution in  [Guinea-Bissau]  [other countries]