Seminar looks at exploitation of women, children
We often hear horror stories of third world women and children being exploited in everything from forced prostitution to outright slavery. Today Belize began the process of looking at its own situation. Jose Sanchez reports.
Jose Sanchez, Reporting
The extent of sexual exploitation of women and children in Central America is not precisely known but its harsh reality is also felt in Belize. To expose the situation, the National Committee for Families and Children has joined a research project to address prostitution and the trafficking of human cargo in the region.
Ava Pennill, Former Executive Director, N.C.F.C.
“There is a belief that there is sexual exploitation, people know of incidences. And what we want to get a feeling of, from people that are in the field, what is the situation like. What are the experiences they have as far as exploitation of women and children go in Belize. What laws, what practices are there that prohibit sexual exploitation. And what laws are there when a person is found guilty of sexually exploiting a woman or a child. What laws are there to correct that exploitation or to punish that person, and to see if there are any gaps in the laws.”
The project, funded by UNICEF and the Organization of American States, is being co-ordinated by a team based in Costa Rica.
Sandra Chollette, Regional Co-ordinating Team, Costa Rica
“This is a problem that many organizations have been tackling for a long time. Our project specifically is a research to determine more or less to determine the area of trafficking. We are talking also about sexual exploitation in general, but we are trying to focus on trafficking.”
Ava Pennill
“We’re looking at the commercial sexual exploitation, so we’re looking at the person giving sexual favors for some in kind contribution or financial contribution. So there must be an exchange of services. There must be an exchange of either goods or monetary contribution.”
Jose Sanchez
“This means prostitution?”
Ava Pennill
“Prostitution is one, but there has been another incident that has been documented where you have older men caring for younger children providing financial needs for favors. “
Jose Sanchez
” This requires gaining a lot of personal information. How do you plan to get people to talk about it?”
Ava Pennill
“This is one way. This is a non-challenging way because we’re not talking specifically about what you’re involved in. You’re meeting with stakeholders, major stakeholders and they’re explaining their experiences so far. The other areas we utilize other methodologies. When we go into the field we use other methodologies to get into the field to see what the situation is like. It’s a tricky situation because you need to get the information, but you need to not make people feel too threatened by the information that you’re gathering.”
Reporting for News 5, Jose Sanchez.
The collection of information has already begun in the districts and cayes and will cover agricultural and border areas as well as tourist destinations. The results of the study should be available by August and will provide the basic framework for outlining intervention and policy strategies.
