More

    Child sex abuse in Madagascar ‘widespread and tolerated’

    ChildrenChild RightsChild sex abuse in Madagascar ‘widespread and tolerated’
    - Advertisment -

    Child sex abuse in Madagascar ‘widespread and tolerated’

    Droughts and food scarcity is leading children to sell sex in Madagascar. Two deadly cyclones in recent weeks have heightened worries as successive drought years have led to poverty and food shortage in Madagascar.

    Child sex abuse is “widespread and tolerated” in tourist hotspots in the African island nation of Madagascar, a UN-appointed rights experts said on Thursday.

    In a call to the authorities to take action to protect youngsters from child prostitution and other violations, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) heard that the majority of children who had sex for money, do so to survive.

    CRC is a body of 18 Independent experts that monitors implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by its State parties.

    - Advertisement -

    The international panel urged Madagascar’s government to strengthen multilateral, regional and bilateral accords, to prevent sex tourism.

    Its recommendations followed a scheduled rights review of the Indian Ocean island nation, which in 2004 committed to eradicating all forms of violence against children – including sexual abuse and exploitation.

    Heightened vulnerabilities

    During exchanges with the Malagasy authorities and civil society in Geneva, the UN panel noted the extreme vulnerability of communities affected by recurring drought and chronic shortages of water and food, particularly in southern areas.

    Linked to this, rates of acute malnutrition among children have worsened “exponentially” in Madagascar, said the UN-appointed independent panel, which oversees how member states implement the convention on the rights of the child.

    Madagascar has seen three years of consecutive droughts created one of the worst food insecurity and nutrition crisis in decades. The country is among the 20 countries and regions named as “hunger hotspots” that face acute food insecurity that has driven people to despair, the UN’s World Food Programme had said in January.

    However, a study by a team from the World Weather Attribution  published in late-2021 felt that the drought in Madagascar was not linked to climate change. The study said that “while climate change may have slightly increased the likelihood of this reduced rainfall (over 2019-21), the effect is not statistically significant”.

    Madagascar has also been struck by two deadly cyclones in recent weeks, causing widespread loss of life and damage to parts of the country. UN and humanitarian partners have been providing support and aid to those affected, and extreme weather events have led to widespread hunger across the country.

    Prostitution ‘trivialized’

    In its submission to the panel, the civil society group ECPAT International, explained that child prostitution “has become trivialized in Madagascar and is conducted openly in bars, nightclubs, massage salons and hotel establishments”.

    ECPAT International added that poverty was the main driver of the practice and that some families even pushed their children into vice, the majority being girls, although the prostitution of boys has increased in recent years.

    It said that while more than 250,000 tourists visited Madagascar according to latest data from 2017, the majority of abusers were citizens of the island nation, with most affected areas being the capital and coastal towns.

    The CRC also monitors implementation of two optional protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child – one the involvement of children in armed conflict and on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.

     

    Image: UNICEF/Rindra Ramasomanana – A road flooded with rain water in Antananarivo, Madagascar.

    - Advertisement -

    LEAVE A REPLY

    Please enter your comment!
    Please enter your name here

    Latest news

    Sri Lanka’s Elephant Corridor Plan ‘Unscientific’

    Nearly 5,000 elephants and 1,600 people have been killed in the last 15 years in clashes between elephants and humans in Sri Lanka, home to one of the largest remaining populations of Asian elephants, according to official figures.

    New Projections Show Extreme Glacier Loss Already at 2°C

    Staying close to 1.5°C on the other hand preserves at least some glacier ice in all regions, even Scandinavia, with 20-30 per cent remaining in the four most sensitive regions; and 40-45 per cent in the Himalayas and Caucuses; stressing the growing urgency of the 1.5°C temperature goal and rapid decarbonization to achieve it.

    Government Extends Interest Relief for Farmers, Reinforces KCC and MISS as Pillars of Agricultural Credit

    Through the KCC framework, farmers benefit from revolving credit facilities for up to five years. This flexible structure allows them to draw and repay funds as per their seasonal requirements without having to reapply for loans each season.

    Legal Battle Brews Over Rampant Illegal Sand Mining in Meghna River

    The massive profits coupled with a weak legal framework have drawn influential individuals with political connections into the sand mining business, making it dangerous for environmental activists and journalists to speak out.
    - Advertisement -

    Yunus Warns of ‘War-Like Situation’ Amid Political Crisis and Rising Tensions

    The high-stakes meeting brought together 20 leaders from various political parties and organisations in two separate sessions, as Yunus sought to shore up support amid reports of internal tensions within his interim government and growing external pressure.

    Vice President Calls for Direct Subsidies and Agri-Entrepreneurship at Madhya Pradesh Conclave

    He urged agro-based industries, NGOs, MPs, and MLAs to adopt villages and help build agri-entrepreneurial ecosystems.

    Must read

    Sri Lanka’s Elephant Corridor Plan ‘Unscientific’

    Nearly 5,000 elephants and 1,600 people have been killed in the last 15 years in clashes between elephants and humans in Sri Lanka, home to one of the largest remaining populations of Asian elephants, according to official figures.

    New Projections Show Extreme Glacier Loss Already at 2°C

    Staying close to 1.5°C on the other hand preserves at least some glacier ice in all regions, even Scandinavia, with 20-30 per cent remaining in the four most sensitive regions; and 40-45 per cent in the Himalayas and Caucuses; stressing the growing urgency of the 1.5°C temperature goal and rapid decarbonization to achieve it.
    - Advertisement -

    More from the sectionRELATED
    Recommended to you