Fear of Living Life
Malak Kira
Prostitution is a form of enslavement and exploitation for financial gain; it is among the most disgraceful acts in all of human evil. Reaching the point of selling children’s bodies and pride to strangers for money is just beyond comprehension. "When the lives and the rights of children are at stake, there must be no silent witnesses", affirmed Carol Bellamy, the Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). About ten million children worldwide are forced into prostitution. It is a social as well as an ethical dilemma that is emerging in today’s world. It is not only a cause of death and morbidity in millions of children, but also a repulsive violation of their rights and dignity. We can no longer stand by in silence and turn a blind eye to the rights of children around the world who suffer from abuse, war, poverty, and diseases.
The highest countries oppressed by child prostitution are India which has 400,000 to 500,000 prostituted children, Brazil which has 100,000 to 500,000, the United
States which has 300,000, and Thailand and China which have 200,000 each. Girls as young as 10 to 12 years old serve men in the sex industry. Millions of children are infected with STDs/HIV, have abortions, and attempt suicide each year. Daughters of poor families are sold for prostitution because their families need money for food and shelter. This is an issue of poverty; this class of society is stepped on by the rest of the world because of their social status. They are treated as slaves and are forced to comply in order for them to live. The society has denied and failed to acknowledge the oppression, exploitation and abuse of these children. What is shocking is that the highest rate of prostitution is in the most developed countries where some sections of the society live under the poverty line. When there is a social crisis, prostitute children often find themselves in fear and reluctant to live. Change can only happen if we stand up for human rights and are willing to overcome violence and fight our fears.
Taking action to reduce the crimes against children and ensure that their voices are never silenced is the key to bringing peace and prosperity. Raising national awareness about prostituted children and developing consensus for action are effective means to address this problem. OOffenders must be held accountable for their behavior and brought to court for criminal actions. Governments around the world must make certain that the right of every child is ensured and protected.
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