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The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children

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

Republic of Equatorial Guinea

The discovery and exploitation of large oil reserves have contributed to dramatic economic growth in recent years. Forestry, farming, and fishing are also major components of GDP. Subsistence farming predominates. Although pre-independence Equatorial Guinea counted on cocoa production for hard currency earnings, the neglect of the rural economy under successive regimes has diminished potential for agriculture-led growth.  [The World Factbook, U.S.C.I.A. 2009]

EquatorialGuinea

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

Prostitution Booms In Equatorial Guinea As Education Sector Folds Up

Anatalón Okué Oyono, afrol News (African News Agency), 12 October 2000

www.afrol.com/News/eqg013_prostitution.htm

[accessed 11 May 2011]

According to the Equatorial Guinean opposition, the lack of educational infrastructure, deficiencies in the existing school system and the absence of an economic future cause youngsters to fall into prostitution, where money can be made quickly. Furthermore, many of the girls between 15 and 20 pass their exams by giving sexual services or by paying their teachers.

 

*** ARCHIVES ***

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/equatorial-guinea.htm

[accessed 3 February 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 - The ILO estimated that 31.3 percent of children ages 10 to 14 years in Equatorial Guinea were working in 2002. Children work on family farms and in domestic service, in street vending, and in bars and grocery stores. There are reports that children also work in prostitution, particularly in Bata and the capital city of Malabo. Children are trafficked to Equatorial Guinea from other countries in West and Central Africa, particularly Cameroon, Nigeria, and Benin. Girls are trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation and domestic servitude, while boys are forced to work as farmhands and street hawkers. Boys trafficked from Nigeria reportedly work in market stalls in Bata without pay or personal freedom.

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/2005/61567.htm

[accessed 8 February 2020]

CHILDREN - Children suffered poor health and had a high mortality rate. The government provided very little health care, but boys and girls have equal access to what was offered.  Child abuse is illegal, but the government did not enforce the law effectively. Child abuse occurred.  Child prostitution existed but was rare.

Concluding Observations Of The Committee On The Rights Of The Child (CRC)

UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, 3 November 2004

www1.umn.edu/humanrts/crc/guinea2004.html

[accessed 3 February 2011]

[58] The Committee is concerned at the growing number of child prostitutes in the streets of the State party’s capital. It is also concerned that the State party’s report lacks specific data on sexual exploitation and trafficking of children and information on legislation on sexual exploitation.

Equatorial Guinea reporting to the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) – 2005

www.againstsexualexploitation.org/news/?sec=crc-op1&lang=all&nav=&id=2005/06/29/10&iwithSession

           =fa511d42929534855d2d224e4c1244b4

[access date unavailable]

SEXUAL TRAFFICKING - The Committee noted that sexual violence and trafficking has been reported in Equatorial Guinea. They also stated the need to raise awareness of the consequences of exploitation and as well as to apply international legal measures. The Delegation agreed that the area is one of great concern and authorities will be involved in international and regional initiatives.

Child Labor Increasing in Equatorial Guinea

afrol News (African News Agency), 21 November 2000

At one time this article had been archived and may possibly still be accessible [here]

[accessed 13 June 2013]

The crisis in the educational sector is said to be the single most important reason behind the worrying increase of prostitution and alcohol consumption by school age juveniles in the country. The daily newspaper in an article earlier this year pointed out that, the youngsters whom they had consulted justified their actions because there was a lack of necessary economic means to survive. According to the same newspaper, "sex has turned into the principal trade of the youth".

Report on the human rights situation in the Republic of Equatorial Guinea submitted by the Special Representative of the Commission, Mr. Gustavo Gallón, pursuant to Commission on Human Rights resolution 2001/22 [DOC]

UN Economic and Social Council Commission on Human Rights, Fifty-eighth session, 24 January 2002

www.unhchr.ch/Huridocda/Huridoca.nsf/0/eb054f2cbdc21564c1256b960051ef68/$FILE/G0210339.doc

[accessed 11 May 2011]

[79] The Minister of Health and the Minister of Social Affairs admitted to the Special Representative that there has a been a marked increase in the presence of child prostitutes in the streets of the capital as a result of the arrival of growing numbers of foreigners who work on the drilling platforms.

The Protection Project - Equatorial Guinea [DOC]

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

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

[accessed 2009]

GOVERNMENT RESPONSES - Prostitution has been banned on the streets of Equatorial Guinea; police are allowed to arrest any minor under the age of 13 who practices prostitution on the street.

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