C S E C The Commercial Sexual
Exploitation of Children In the early years of the 21st Century, 2000 to
2025 gvnet.com/childprostitution/Mongolia.htm
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CAUTION: The following links
and accompanying text have been culled from the web to illuminate the
situation in Mongolia. 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 *** Traffickers profit
from vulnerability of street children in Mongolia Daryhand Bayar, United
Nations Children's Fund UNICEF Mongolia, March 7, 2006 This article has
been archived by World Street Children News and may possibly still be
accessible [here] [accessed 21 June
2011] According to an
assessment by UNICEF of street and unsupervised children, migrant girls who
live and/or work on the streets are often recruited into prostitution.
Research by CHRD indicates that highly organized criminals take advantage of
the girls’ vulnerability on the streets and force them down this path in
order to profit from their exploitation. The organizers are not necessarily
unknown to the girls – they are often family members or other girls who have
previously engaged in prostitution. The rate of prostitution is highest in
Ulaanbaatar, but it is also prevalent in provinces near Mongolia’s borders.
The implication is that children forced into prostitution in these provinces
may also become victims of cross-border trafficking. ***
ARCHIVES *** ECPAT Country
Monitoring Report [PDF] Veyoma Hevamanage,
ECPAT International, 2011 www.ecpat.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/a4a_v2_eap_mongolia_1.pdf [accessed 3
September 2020] Desk review of
existing information on the sexual exploitation of children (SEC) in
Mongolia. The report looks at protection mechanisms, responses, preventive
measures, child and youth participation in fighting SEC, and makes
recommendations for action against SEC. Human
Rights Reports » 2019 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices U.S. Dept of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and
Labor, March 10, 2020 www.state.gov/reports/2019-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/mongolia/ [accessed 3
September 2020] SEXUAL
EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN - Although illegal, the commercial sexual exploitation
of children younger than 18 was a problem. According to NGOs there were
instances in which teenage girls were kidnapped, coerced, or deceived and
forced to work in prostitution. The minimum age for consensual sex is 16.
Violators of the statutory rape law (defined as sexual intercourse with a
person younger than 16 not involving physical violence or the threat of
violence) are subject to a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Those who
engaged children in prostitution or sexual exploitation are subject to a
maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, or life imprisonment if aggravating
circumstances are present. Under the criminal code, the maximum penalty for
engaging children in pornography is eight years’ imprisonment. The NCAV
reported it had received 16 complaints related to child sexual abuse and
domestic violence as of November 1. Ten of the cases were referred to the
courts, five were referred to the FCYDA, and one case was pending. 2018 Findings on
the Worst Forms of Child Labor Office of Child
Labor, Forced Labor, and Human Trafficking, Bureau of International Labor Affairs,
US Dept of Labor, 2019 www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ILAB/child_labor_reports/tda2018/ChildLaborReportBook.pdf [accessed 3
September 2020] Note:: Also check out this country’s report in the more recent edition DOL
Worst Forms of Child Labor [page 808] Mongolian children are
generally trafficked internally for the purpose of commercial sexual
exploitation in saunas, bars, hotels, karaoke clubs, and massage parlors.
(3,7,9,17,21) In 2018, there were
15 separate trainings focused on trafficking in persons, preventing the sexual
exploitation of children, improving investigative tactics, and enhancing the
provision of support services. (9,39) Police officers
reported a general lack of knowledge and training on how to apply criminal
trafficking laws to cases of commercial sexual exploitation of children.
Authorities use provisions of the Criminal Code, which carry less stringent
penalties when boys are the victims of human trafficking due to the
misconception among many government officials that only girls can be victims
of human trafficking. (4) As a result, many cases that could have been
prosecuted under the human trafficking article of the Criminal Code were
instead prosecuted under related articles of the Criminal Code that carry
lighter penalties. (4,19,47) Concluding Observations of the Committee on the Rights of the
Child (CRC) UN Convention on the
Rights of the Child, 3 June 2005 sim.law.uu.nl/SIM/CaseLaw/uncom.nsf/0/6665ba6cee999821c12570350028974c?OpenDocument [accessed 21
February 2011] [64]
The Committee is deeply concerned at the increasing number of children
engaged in prostitution. While noting that trafficking in children is a
relatively new human rights problem in Mongolia, the Committee is concerned
about certain risk factors, including persisting poverty, the high rate of
unemployment, difficult family circumstances leading to run-away from home
and a growth in tourism, which may and often does increase sexual
exploitation and trafficking in children. Street Children
Remain Neglected Damien Dawson, 06
April 2007 This article has
been archived by World Street Children News and may possibly still be
accessible [here] [accessed 21 June
2011] Although homeless and
orphans, these children consider themselves lucky. "Some children are
sent out to beg by their parents who use the money they get to buy alcohol,
even if they’re not homeless," Nara tells me. These children do not want
their names or their faces to be seen in Mongolian newspapers because of the
shame this will bring to their families. They at least are trying to retain
their national pride. Others that they consider less fortunate than
themselves are those forced into selling themselves on the streets, while
their pimps are protected by corrupt policemen, who in some cases control the
prostitutes themselves. Five Years After
Stockholm [PDF] ECPAT: Fifth Report
on implementation of the Agenda for Action ECPAT International,
November 2001 www.no-trafficking.org/content/web/05reading_rooms/five_years_after_stockholm.pdf [accessed 13
September 2011] [B]
COUNTRY UPDATES – MONGOLIA – The Mongolian Centre for Child
Rights has said that the main obstacle to implementing the Agenda for Action
is the lack of reliable data on both the number of street children and the
number of CSEC victims. Programs implemented by the government and NGOs in
recent years have focused on awareness raising and the prevention of sexually
transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS. Report
by Special Rapporteur [DOC] UN Economic and
Social Council Commission on Human Rights, Fifty-ninth session, 6 January
2003 www.unhchr.ch/Huridocda/Huridoca.nsf/0/217511d4440fc9d6c1256cda003c3a00/$FILE/G0310090.doc [accessed 21 June
2011] [55] The
new Criminal Code approved in January 2002 makes the sale and trafficking of
children a criminal offence and provides for 5-10 years’ imprisonment where
the crime is committed for remuneration for sexual exploitation involving
minors. The General Police Department reported 11 cases of arrests
for using children in prostitution in 2001, and 5 cases
in 2002. Concerning the use of children in pornography, the
police reported 14 cases in 2001 and 8 cases in 2002. NGOs'
Perspectives of Children's Rights
in Mongolia Save the Children UK
Programme in Mongolia, The UB Post, January 5, 2005 At one time this
article had been archived and may possibly still be accessible [here] [accessed 21 June
2011] Alarmingly, child
prostitution cases are increasing drastically. Most girls involved are former victims of
sexual abuse themselves. Mongolia has
been promoting an open policy and many tourists and business people visit the
country. There is no guarantee that
child sex will not be developed in the country. Prevent Under-age Prostitution with Skill Building The World Bank,
Competition: 2003 Global DM: Services for the Poor, Project No. 2003-0283 wbi.worldbank.org/developmentmarketplace/idea/prevent-under-age-prostitution-skill-building [accessed 21 June
2011] siteresources.worldbank.org/INTMONGOLIA/Mongolia-Newsletters/20205468/Newsletter_issue_2.pdf [accessed 13
November 2016] RATIONALE - Mongolia's
transition to a market economy has experienced dramatic societal changes.
Fleeing abuse, an alcoholic parent, or neglect, many girls run away from home
and end up the streets, only to encounter crime, violence and exploitation.
Girls living on the street are especially vulnerable to unwanted sexual
relations, pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Moreover, they are
often forced into prostitution. Prostitution is not tolerated in Mongolian
society, and national legislation prohibits it. However, the problem
persists. The
Crime Of Trafficking Of Women And Children In Mongolia: The Current Situation
[PDF] G.Urantsooj, L.Ariunchimeg, & D.Tsend-Auysh,
Centre for Human Rights and Development CHRD,
and P.Oyunchimeg,
Centre for Human Rights and Development NHRCM, Ulaanbaatar, November 2002 www.docstoc.com/docs/48593330/THE-CRIME-OF-TRAFFICKING-OF-WOMEN-AND-CHILDREN-IN [accessed 13
Aug 2013] FOREWORD - The rate of
trafficking in women and children all over the world has increased and
Mongolia has become involved in trafficking in recent years, as evidenced by
the Maksim case in which the court found two Mongolian girls had been
trafficked to Yugoslavia and forced to engage in prostitution. There has also
been an increase in newspaper advertisements on ways to obtain highly paid
jobs abroad as well as articles on the trafficking of Mongolian girls abroad. The
Dark Side of Casino Lights [access information
unavailable] Bolor said she hopes the
government will take measures against prostitution and to protect girls who
live on the street. She said that
street girls as young as 14 and 15 years-old are often trafficked to Macao,
Singapore and Malaysia. Supporting Street
Children In Mongolia Save the Children
UK, 30/04/2001 At one time this
article had been archived and may possibly still be accessible [here] [accessed 21 June
2011] Poor health is
common among both street children and children who work. They often risk injury
from dangerous work, poor living conditions and gang violence. Children are
also exposed to sexually transmitted diseases - especially girls working in
the sex industry. But many children are unaware of the risks, and often don't
even realize they are ill. Even if they recognize symptoms, it's often
impossible to get professional help. Many of them are not officially
registered, or have lost proof of identity. Without it, they can't get free
health cover, and hospitals are reluctant to treat them because they won't
get paid. ***
EARLIER EDITIONS OF SOME OF THE ABOVE *** ECPAT Global
Monitoring Report on the status of action against commercial exploitation of
children - Mongolia [PDF] ECPAT International,
2006 www.ecpat.net/A4A_2005/PDF/EAP/Global_Monitoring_Report-MONGOLIA.pdf [accessed 21 June
2011] resources.ecpat.net/EI/Pdf/A4A_II/A4A_V2_EAP_MONGOLIA.pdf [accessed 25
December 2016] The study
Perception, Trends, and Nature of Child Prostitution, conducted in 2001 in
Ulaanbaatar, the capital city, with a sample group of 1,193 children from
grades 7 to 10, indicated that 42 per cent of girls engaged in prostitution
are aged between 17 and 18, while 57 per cent are aged between 13 and 16. The
majority of these girls (70 per cent) are school dropouts and around 10 per
cent are homeless. Most of the girls engaged in prostitution (85 per cent)
live underground in the city’s heating ducts or on the streets. Commercial
sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) in Mongolia is closely linked with the
problem of street children, who are exposed to various forms of violence,
sexual abuse and commercial sexual exploitation, including involvement in the
production of pornography. Although there is no reliable data on the numbers
of street children in the country, it is estimated to be between one and
4,000 (post 1990, i.e. after the end of the Soviet occupation); 64 per cent
are aged between 9 and 14. The majority are found in
Ulaanbaatar, but they can also be found to a lesser extent in other large
cities such as Dornod and Zamiin
Uud. Factors pushing
children into prostitution include sexual abuse, poor living onditions, and being lured, forced or influenced by
others. The high rates of divorce and domestic violence (often accentuated by
alcohol abuse) also lead many children to run away from abusive home
environments to find themselves in highly vulnerable situations. At the end
of the Soviet occupation, Mongolia experienced a severe economic collapse,
but the various changes in the country’s economic structure were not
accompanied by social welfare programmes targeting
children and young people. – sccp 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/mongolia.htm [accessed 21
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 - There are increasing numbers of children living on
the streets in Ulaanbaatar who may be at risk of engaging in hazardous work
or face sexual exploitation. Urban
children often work in small enterprises such as food shops or in light
industry.. While comprehensive information about the
nature and extent of trafficking in Mongolia is not available, it is reported
that Mongolia is a source and transit point for teenage trafficking victims
for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation. CHILD
LABOR LAWS AND ENFORCEMENT - The Criminal Code prohibits prostitution of
individuals under the age of 16, and penalties apply to facilitators,
procurers, and solicitors of prostitution. Human Rights
Reports » 2004 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices U.S. Dept of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and
Labor, February 28, 2005 2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/62653.htm [accessed 10
February 2020] TRAFFICKING
IN PERSONS
– In 2003, the national police documented 148 cases of underage
prostitution. In May, the former
Ministry of Infrastructure, which had oversight responsibility for the
tourist industry, worked with UNICEF and tourist companies to develop a
voluntary code of conduct to protect minors from sexual exploitation in the
travel and tourist industry. The
primary targets of trafficking schemes were middle-class girls and young
women, ranging in age from 14 to approximately 28, who were lured abroad by
offers to study or work. All
material used herein reproduced under the fair use exception of 17 USC § 107
for noncommercial, nonprofit, and educational use. PLEASE RESPECT COPYRIGHTS OF COMPONENT
ARTICLES. Cite this webpage as: Patt,
Prof. Martin, "Child Prostitution - Mongolia",
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