The latest The Economist Intelligence Unit has exposed some 40 countries dealing with child exploitatIon including sexual abuse, reports NaijaAgroNet.
Just as the Special Representative to the Secretary General on Violence Against Children, United Nations, Marta Santos Pais, has insisted that children must be protected from all forms of ills in the society.
"We can, and we must, protect children from all forms of sexual abuse and exploitation in all settings. Children deserve nothing less," Marta Santos Pais said.
NaijaAgroNet gathered that child sexual abuse and exploitation happen everywhere and are pressing concerns for both wealthy and developing countries alike, according to a first-of-its-kind research programme, Out of the Shadows: Shining light on the response to child sexual abuse and exploitation.
The Economist Intelligence Unit developed this tool with support from the World Childhood Foundation and Oak Foundation and with additional support from the Carlson Family Foundation, the Out of the Shadows Index and report revealed how 40 countries at the national level are confronting child sexual abuse and exploitation.
The policies, practices and standards presented in the index highlight how governments, the private sector and civil society can move toward achieving Target 16.2 in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, which calls for ending all forms of violence against children by 2030.
Created with guidance from an international panel of experts, the index covers a comprehensive range of critical issues, including policies on child marriage, reproductive and sexual health, gender differences, law enforcement, and child sexual abuse online, where the expansion of broadband internet has placed more children at risk. Index indicators also focus on the engagement of businesses in fighting child sexual abuse and exploitation, especially the technology and travel/tourism industries.
The 40 countries included in the index cover 70 per cent of the global population under 19 years of age.
Isaac Oyimah/Editor
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