Torture in [Syria] [other countries]
Human Trafficking in [Syria] [other countries]
Street Children in [Syria] [other countries]
Child Prostitution in [Syria] [other countries]
 

Child Prostitution

The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children

In the early years of the 21st Century gvnet.com/childprostitution/Syria.htm

Syrian Arab Republic The Syrian economy grew by an estimated 2.4% in real terms in 2008 led by the petroleum and agricultural sectors, which together account for about one-half of GDP. Long-run economic constraints include declining oil production, high unemployment and inflation, rising budget deficits, and increasing pressure on water supplies caused by heavy use in agriculture, rapid population growth, industrial expansion, and water pollution. [The World Factbook, U.S.C.I.A. 2009]

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

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Unveiling Iraq's Teenage Prostitutes

Joshua E.S. Phillips, Salon, 24 June 2005

dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2005/06/24/prostitutes/index.html

[accessed 27 July 2011]

FLEEING THEIR WAR-TORN HOMES, IRAQI GIRLS ARE SELLING THEIR BODIES IN SYRIA TO SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES - For the most part, Iraqi refugees are living off their savings, which are drained by daily expenses.  Many are stuck in Syria, as few Western embassies are now granting visas, claiming that Iraq has become a liberated country following the fall of Saddam.  With economic conditions worsening all the time for refugees, officials say, it's no surprise that Syria is seeing a rise in child exploitation and prostitution.  Still, given the growing awareness of the problems facing Iraqi refugees -- violence, restricted mobility, diminishing finances -- one wonders why child prostitution in Syria hasn't garnered more attention.

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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

www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61699.htm

[accessed 28 December 2010]

CHILDREN - Child prostitution and trafficking in children were rare; incidents that arose mainly involved destitute orphans.

Amnesty urges help for Iraqi refugees

Shafika Mattar, Associated Press AP, Amman Jordan, July 26, 2007

abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=3415758

[Last access date unavailable]

Amnesty said it visited Syria, where its delegates interviewed many Iraqis who had been tortured and in some cases raped. Most are traumatized, with little hope of receiving treatment, Amnesty said. "Many refugees said they received no food and that their savings had dried up." The statement said that some Iraqi refugee families have even resorted to forcing their daughters into prostitution to help the family survive. Child prostitution and trafficking of Iraqi children is said to be growing, Amnesty said.

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 27 July 2011]

[70] The Government reported that there are no laws pertaining to the issue of sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography as it does not constitute a social or religious problem and is a rare phenomenon.

ECPAT: Limited information is available

ECPAT International, Child Prostitution, Country Report - Seria

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

[accessed 27 July 2011]

Limited information is available on child prostitution in Syria. Research – and therefore statistics – in Syria generally focus on child labor rather than CSEC Despite the lack of accessible data, the presence of a significant number of children in the street desperate for money underlies the possible existence of and potential for commercial sexual exploitation of children in Syria.

Unveiling Iraq's Teenage Prostitutes

Joshua E.S. Phillips, Salon, 24 June 2005

dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2005/06/24/prostitutes/index.html

[accessed 27 July 2011]

FLEEING THEIR WAR-TORN HOMES, IRAQI GIRLS ARE SELLING THEIR BODIES IN SYRIA TO SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES - For the most part, Iraqi refugees are living off their savings, which are drained by daily expenses. Many are stuck in Syria, as few Western embassies are now granting visas, claiming that Iraq has become a liberated country following the fall of Saddam. With economic conditions worsening all the time for refugees, officials say, it's no surprise that Syria is seeing a rise in child exploitation and prostitution. Still, given the growing awareness of the problems facing Iraqi refugees -- violence, restricted mobility, diminishing finances -- one wonders why child prostitution in Syria hasn't garnered more attention.

Commercial sexual exploitation of children is not present in Syria

Arabic News, 1/9/2002

www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/020109/2002010936.html

[accessed 28 December 2010]

Al-Sheikh added that in his presentation to the Congress he pointed out that the problem of commercial sexual exploitation of children is not present in Syria, and that prostitution and pornography is very small, due to the firm social and families ties.

Iraqi children forced into prostitution in Syria

Business Travellers against Human Trafficking, Global news on human trafficking, 6/24/2005

businesstravellers-org.web26.winsvr.net/Home/tabid/36/EntryID/987/Default.aspx

[accessed 28 December 2010]

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There is growing evidence of Iraqi children being used as prostitutes in Syria. It is estimated that there are around 700,000 Iraqi refugees in Syria, many of whom are struggling in situations of poverty. Cases are emerging of families sending their teenage daughters to work as prostitutes, in order to survive.  Abdelhamid El Ouali, the representative for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees in Damascus said “”It’s a serious problem because there are young girls doing this — 11, 12, 13 years old,” There is little or no discussion of this in Syria, and the government does not release figures on prostitution.

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

ECPAT International, November 2000 -- Looking Back Thinking Forward - The fourth report on the implementation of the Agenda for Action adopted at the World Congress against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children held in Stockholm, Sweden, August 1996

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

[accessed 27 July 2011]

While Israel, Jordan and Lebanon indicate a tacit willingness to address the issue, the majority of the countries in the region have not conducted research and deny the possibility that children are being sexually exploited for commercial purposes. Open discussions of sex related issues are regarded as a social taboo thus further explaining the lack of research and acknowledgement of CSEC. While the extent of child prostitution in the Middle East region is unknown, anecdotal evidence indicates that there is a large problem in selected areas of the region.

Commercial sexual exploitation of children - Middle East/North Africa region

based on the situation analysis written by Dr Najat M’jid for the Arab-African Forum against Commercial Sexual Exploitation, Rabat, Morocco, 24-26 October 2001 -- Source document (in French): Rapport sur la situation de l’exploitation sexuelle des enfants dans la région MENA, 10 septembre 2001

www.unicef.org/events/yokohama/backgound8.html

[accessed 27 July 2011]

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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Torture in [Syria] [other countries]
Human Trafficking in [Syria] [other countries]
Street Children in [Syria] [other countries]
Child Prostitution in [Syria] [other countries]