E-Book, Englisch, 118 Seiten
E-Book, Englisch, 118 Seiten
ISBN: 978-3-96067-706-2
Verlag: Diplomica Verlag
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: 0 - No protection
This book contains a study that seeks to identify the origins of the occurrence and the legal apparatus available to deal with the incidence of commercial sexual exploitation of children in the region, focusing on Brazil – as a pioneer – and Argentina – a recent country dealing with such an issue. Through an analysis of the evolution of the legal framework in both countries and the international mechanisms the book is also an invitation to the reader to reflect on this unmentioned side of tourism.
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Chapter 3. OVERVIEW OF SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN IN TOURISM IN SOUTH AMERICA:
Despite the fact that prostitution is considered by many as the oldest profession in the world, sexual tourism as a phenomenon only began to be identified after the industrial revolution in the nineteenth century, with the opening of cabarets and nightclubs. Years later, the phenomenon has expanded by acquiring other dimensions, being spread mainly in Asia. First it was identified in Sri Lanka, and years later in Indonesia and Thailand, where it gained visibility turning the country into the leading one in this activity. For many years Thailand used sex tourism as a source of revenue for the country. From 1905 to 1960, prostitution was considered legal, attracting thousands of tourists a year. However, in 1960, the country started to adopt anti-prostitution laws with the Suppression of Prostitution Act. With the introduction of the Entertainment Places Act in 1966 the operation of bars, massage parlors, and other related activities, were regulated. The Act imposed heavier penalties against anyone trying to take illegal advantages from prostitution, and it was particularly important on the prevention of SECT and trafficking, penalizing customers who engage in sexual intercourse with minors.
As a consequence from the restrictions imposed in Asia, sex tourists started to look for new destinations. In the meanwhile, most Latin American countries were beginning to consider using tourism as a strategy of promoting income, and in order to do so, it was necessary to establish a cultural identity that could project them externally. The approach adopted in the propaganda was marked with advertisements making reference to the natural beauty, beaches and the charm of Hispanic woman. Thus, combined both factors the region consequently became a part of the route for the activity in the 70’s. Central and South America have recently become prime locations for pedophiles or opportunists seeking underage exploits (Leite, 2007 apud Assunção & Babinski, 2010, p.5).
Also the cultural factor should be mentioned: The history of South America is marked by the cultural imperialism imposed by the settlers from the so-called „first world” in a background of labor, material and sexual exploitation. Such cultural superiority claim even today pursues continents, giving the false idea that one can dominate the other. In conjunction with the lack of control in general, high corruption levels, and the social and economic gap between „tourists” and touristic destinations, it is wrongly shaped the idea that these countries are „no man's land” favoring a context of exploitation. In this context, children turn into an easy target to become merchandise (Santos,1990 apud Gomes, 1996 p.63).Unicefclaims that most part of the offenders come from Europe, United States and Canada. According to a survey conducted by the Ecpat, among the Europeans, Italians are the largest consumers of sex tourism, followed by German and French. It is estimated that about 80,000 Italians travel abroad each year chasing sex (Ecpat 2013, p.5).
A study conducted by Ecpat and Unicef identified the countries where child sex exploitation in tourism is more evident. In 2014 it was published by the Spanish newspaper El País a map evidencing such countries, among which four South American countries stand out worldwide, in different ways and varying degrees, for the number of child victims of sexual exploitation in tourism: Brazil, Colombia, Peru and Argentina.
Another research, conducted by Ecpatlisted on a map the countries where SECT is a recurring problem and countries with recent evidence of the incidence of the phenomenon. According to this research it can be stated that some destinations, as Brazil, have experienced the phenomenon for over 20 years, while others, such as Argentina, have only recently begun to experience it (Ecpat, 2008, p.7).
In order to deepen the research on the mentioned subject, a parallel study is conducted focusing in these two neighboring countries: A regional pioneer, already dealing with the problem of sexual exploitation of children in tourism for many years, and another, which is emerging in this issue and still needs to develop alternatives to eradicate the incidence of this problem. The purpose of this in-depth study is to understand how the incidence of such a problem comes forth in the country, the economic and historical factors that culminated in its occurrence, and the legal provisions available to deal with it.
3.1 ARGENTINA:
Argentina is one of the emerging destinations for SECT, according to the Ecpat report. (2006, p.12) One explanation behind this phenomenon could be the political and economic crisis that the country is facing. During the 90’s and 2000, Argentina suffered a severe change in its economic framework, after removing the trade protection and as a result of currency appreciation, which accentuated the loss of competitiveness of the domestic industry. During that decade there was a steady increase of unemployment rate, which tripled rising from 6,3% in 1992 to 18,3% in 2001, exceeding 21% with the emergence of the global economic crisis in 2007. If it is considered the underemployment rate, the proportion increases to 50% during the crisis (Unicef, 2006 p.3).
The growing insecurity in the job market deteriorated significantly the social coverage in the country, worsening the situation of marginalized and vulnerable groups. The substantial reduction in household income directly contributed to the increase in child poverty. According to Unicef, more than half of the people who are in poverty are children. In Argentina, between 2001 and 2004, a total of 507,430 children were impoverished.(Unicef, 2006 apud Clarín, 2007 p. 1)As a consequence, this public becomes more exposed to the possibility of being in a situation of exploitation. In spite of child labor being prohibited and punishable under the Criminal Code of the Nation, there are situations in which it is „socially acceptable”, directly violating the rights of the children.
In 2012, 14,675 children and adolescents were detected to be without parental care, as reported byUnicef and the National Secretariat of Childhood, Adolescence and Family. Most of them live in public or private institutions, and the biggest cause reported when entering these institutions is violence and abuse, followed by neglect and sexual abuse. (Unicef, 2015, p.14) Also according to Unicef (2001, p.37), the age of the exploited children in the country range between 12 to 16 years old. Given the whole context of poverty, family disruption, and traumas, these children are highly exposed to the possibility of being in a situation of exploitation.
Additionally, another relevant factor is the strong sexist and patriarchal culture present in the country as well as in other countries in the region.According to the Observatory of Feminicide in Argentina (2013, p.11) this social and cultural context is incorporated into the society since ancient times, and continues to influence family upbringing and cultural attitudes.In a survey conducted by the Argentine consultant of public opinion and market research Ibarómetro(2012) in order to measure the perception of the sexist culture in the country, resulted that 63% of the interviewees claimed to perceive a strong male chauvinist culture.
On the other hand, despite the increase in poverty aggravated by the crisis, the fall in the exchange rate had a significant impact in increasing tourism. According to a study conducted by the Argentinian NGO Alerta Vida, the country went from receiving 1,5 million foreign tourists in 2003 to 2,5 million in 2010, which represent a significant increase on tourism. This economic scenario coupled with the rising of vulnerable children and adolescents and increased substantially the problem of sexual exploitation of minors in tourism.
According to the NGO Ratt Mercosur, a study conducted in partnership with the International Organization for Migration detected the incidence of sexual abuse of children in the Northeast and Northwest regions of the country, committed mainly by Europeans who come to the region for the practice of sport fishing in Bella Vista. Also, another flow was identified in the region of Rio Cuarto, where it is annually hosted a popular touring car racing series known as Turismo Carretera. It was also found sexual exploitation of minors in the Guarani village Mbororé Fortin of Puerto Iguazú, where indigenous girls are offered to tourists looking for an exotic sexual experience. The research also pointed to the incidence of sexual exploitation of children in a major hotel chain in the capital. (Ratt Mercosur, 2008, p.2) In addition, according to a document launched by the Argentine Chamber of Deputies, the biggest consumers of sex with minors come from countries like Holland, Japan, Korea, Spain, and Germany.
At the organizational level, there are some entities working on the theme. One can mention Unicef Argentina, Ecpat, Save the Children, Ratt Mercosur, the Institute of Comparative Studies in Penal and Social Sciences, among many other smaller organizations in the interior of the State. Most of their actions are not focused specifically on the problem of SECT, but rather linked to the issue of labor exploitation in general and trafficking in persons. Although not directly linked to the theme, such organizations are of great importance and carry out many actions, focusing mainly on northern Argentina, in the border regions as well as in the capital. In addition to the actions and projects developed, these organizations develop a fundamental work from the point of view that they are the great propellers of the information, serving to alert the State about such problem. According to Picatto (2016), this can be explained considering that social organizations have often a more dynamic way of communicating and interacting, thus becoming more acquainted with the situation around them. In Argentina, there are currently no official statistics on sexual exploitation in tourism. However, such organizations play a key role in carrying out their own statistics and actions.
At the governmental level, several agencies deal with this issue, developing actions and programs in accordance with the current legislation, and seeking to adapt the laws to reality. One of the first government agencies created to deal more specifically with this issue was the Victims against Violence Program (VCV),from the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, which has a task force team dedicated exclusively to the matter of sexual abuse of children, called Equipo Niñ@s. This team emerged in line with the project of law on Trafficking in Persons, in 2006, and carries out a national campaign against the commercial sexual exploitation of children and adolescents infiltrated in travel and tourism. One of the actions of the campaign was implemented in partnership with national and international airports of the country. Its activities concerned in distributing posters and carrying out training and awareness activities with agencies of the sector.
With the sanction of the law on the prevention and punishment of trafficking in persons and assistance to its victims in 2008, the National Rescue and Support for Victims Program (PNR) was created. Although this program is not directly linked to the sex tourism issue, it indirectly acts in the problem, since it aims at rescuing victims of sexual exploitation. The PNR works jointly with Federal Security Forces specialized in the prevention and fight against trafficking in persons, under the Ministry of National Security. It is composed of an interdisciplinary team of professionals who provide psychological, social and medical assistance, legal advices and security to the victims. Some of the program's advances include: The creation of an office for monitoring the publication of advertisements offering sexual services; the activation of a telephone hotline launched in 2012; the establishment of an agreement with Aerolineas Argentinas, Aeropuertos Argentina 2000 SA and the Argentine Federation of Aeronautical personnel to train their employees in matter of prevention, crime detection and assistance to victims of trafficking in persons, signed in 2014; and the promulgation of a law that obliges to display in airports, micro terminal, border crossing points and public transports an alert message stating that „sexual exploitation of children and the trafficking of people in Argentina is a severely punished crime”, and encouraging people to report it. This meant a major advance in addressing the problem in the country, since the government no longer needs to rely on pre-established partnerships with airports, in the way it was done until then, since most airports in the country are licensed to private companies.
More recently, with the emergence of the phenomenon in the country, the Ministry of Tourism also began to focus its activities to confront the sexual abuse of minors. Over the years, children began to be recognized as rights-worthy citizens, becoming the target audience of many public policies. In line with these national policies, the Secretariat of Tourism created the Responsible Tourism and Children Program, which aims to implement actions to protect and promote the rights of children and adolescents in tourism related activities. The idea is to promote actions, involving the tourist branch and its activities in order to end this atrocity, unlinking the tourist sector from such a crime.
