The other day I was wondering around the web, as I am apt to do, and I found a document (which I will link to as soon as I find the website it came from) that helps to give an overview of children and trafficking in Chile. One of the nice things about this document, is that it cites where all the numbers come from thus making it feel more valid. I thought I would share some of the relevant findings:
Total population 15,988,000 Population Reference Bureau 2004
Child population 4,156,880 Population Reference Bureau 2004
Child labor: In 2000, less than 1% of children age 10 to 14 we working. Children do work in the following sectors: agriculture, fishing, ranching, shepherding, meat and shellfish processing, bagging in grocery stores, domestic service and street sales. US Dept. of Labor 2003 Findings on the worst forms of child labour
Children out of school: In 2001, 195,600 primary school aged children between the ages of 6-11 were out of school. UNESCO’s EFA Global Monitoring Report 2005
Child Slavery: No confirmed reports.
Child Trafficking: Chile is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for both laboral and sexual exploitation. Traffickers are know to contact victims and their families directly or through advertisements offering jobs as domestic help, model, or product promoters. US Dept of State TIP 2005
Child prostitution and pornography: A 2003 SENAME study found at least 3,700 children were victims of commercial sexual exploitation. US Dept of State TIP 2005 More can be found on that in my piece here. Also, in 1998 “Operation Cathedral” exposed a link between Chilean pedophile network and the international pornography trade. This include 19 other countries as well. There are reports of children as young as 7 expoited through prostitution and sex tourism in Chile’s 4 largest cities. In 2003 a US man was arrested in the Santiago airport for possessing child pornography. Although the national authorities deny it, ECPAT claims that Chile is a sex tourism destination Ecpat CSEC database
Children used in crime: Children are involved in sale of drugs and prostitution. US Dept of Labor’s 2003 Findings on the worst forms of child labor.
Child soldiers: Under 18s could be recruited with their parents’ consent. No numbers are available. CSUCS, Global Report on Child Soldiers, 2004
Musings from inside, outside, and underneath 
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UN.GIFT (United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking) website http://www.ungift.org aims to be an extension of UN GIFT activities worldwide. We would like it to evolve into a vibrant online community where people exchange views, showcase their work, talk about their experiences to strengthen the fight against human trafficking. With your help we can make it a valuable resource to take this fight forward. Organized crime of human trafficking needs a fitting organized response.