End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes (ECPAT)
Weak law enforcement and uneven legal protection for children in many Latin American countries compromise efforts to fight commercial sexual exploitation. This program brought together 26 civil society organizations from across the region to develop a coalition, as well as, build a library of legal resources for children and adolescents.
Challenge
The sexual exploitation of children is a problem that leads to serious and often life-threatening consequences for the physical, psychological, and social development of the children involved. Children face the greatest risk of falling victim to sexual exploitation, as they can be more easily overpowered or coerced. In Latin America, children and youth are often lured into commercial sexual exploitation through false promises and a lack of positive life options. Weak law enforcement and uneven legal protections in many Latin American countries compromise efforts to fight this exploitation.
Program Summary
To address these issues, ECPAT led an initiative to develop civil society coalitions in Argentina, Honduras, Uruguay, Mexico, and Peru to encourage collaborative action against commercial sexual exploitation of children.
Impact
The project created an inventory of non-governmental organizations that provide children and adolescents with legal support in each country and detailed procedures for dealing with cases, the results of legal action, and projections for the future. The project ultimately brought together five main partner organizations, as well as 26 additional civil society organizations that provide legal support.
Partners
ECPAT was the main partner, working together with NGOs focused on children’s rights in Argentina, Honduras, Uruguay, Mexico, and Peru.