The Sexual Exploitation Of Africa's Children

Of all the truly heinous crimes committed on this planet, the sexual exploitation of children is amongst the worst. When, in 2002, the story broke concerning the UN Aid Workers sexually abusing young African girls, we were horrified. The very people entrusted with the care and aiding of impoverished peoples in Africa were exploiting them instead. Sadly this is not a new development in Africa, but often the only way for many years, families could survive-by using their children’s bodies as barter for food, medicine and clothing.

In North Africa there are private "clubs", where tourists from Europe, Asia and the U.S. pay to watch young girls being violated, or participate in group sex. I first heard of this around three years ago, from a person who asked that he not be identified. He described a club in Tunisia where a large cage was centered in the middle of a room, with seating all around. In this cage was a young girl no older than 12. There was an older female present with her, and the child appeared drugged. After dinner, tables were removed, and prostitutes would walk around and once the lights were dimmed, begin having sex, as the cage was softly lit and throbbing music began. A large adult male approached the cage, and entered. The rapt audience were invited to reach through the bars and touch the child, as the man deflowered her. The fee for this nights "show" was around $1.000.00 per person. Both males and females were present, in couples, or alone.

Why does this happen? Often to a family subsisting on less than $3.00 per annum, a female child is a valuable asset. Culturally, in many African societies, females are devalued in the first place, so this is not something most are ashamed of. The young girls of course, have no choice in the matter whatsoever. And they suffer. Many times according to WHO and other relief organizations, these young girls aged 9 and up, often come to clinic, barely able to walk, with torn bladders, massive infections, and are often made sterile by their injuries. Many die in childbirth, being too young and malnourished to safely undergo the rigors of hard labor. Those that survive their injuries, and are unable to bear children are considered useless, and often abandoned by their families, which forces them back on the streets again. AIDS is a full blown epidemic in Africa, and this is one reason why.

Judith Matloff of the Christian Science Monitor states: "An idea of the crisis can be gleaned by studies in individual communities. A YWCA survey in Bo, Sierra Leone's second-largest city, which is overrun by war refugees, showed that 54 of 90 girls surveyed were involved in prostitution. And in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, more than half of 100,000 prostitutes are under 18, according to Save the Children, an international charity.

One of the worst places for the sexual exploitation of minors is Zambia, where one of Africa's highest levels of AIDS and five years of harsh austerity measures that have curtailed free social services have sent armies of girls into the streets."

This is a human problem and exacerbated by inhumane affluent westerners and opportunistic workers in Africa. Is there a solution? Yes, but like all serious problems, it will take a huge amount of concern and action by the international community before it is stopped. I was very frank with the person who disclosed the "club" scene to me. I told him I felt that anyone who comes from another country and sexually exploits a child should be imprisoned and held up to public scrutiny. And they should be compelled to make some form of financial restitution to the child for such abuse.

The removal of the cultural and societal attitudes towards females should be a priority. And this can be done with the help of women the world over. It worked in Afghanistan, and it can work in Africa too. As long as we all remain quiet and don't demand justice for these vulnerable and exploited children, we are complicit. If it helps, look at your own young children and grandchildren, and imagine them going through what these children do everyday. Sometimes it is just too easy to turn away from an issue like this and hope someone else will take care of it. They haven't and won't until there is a collective outcry from all of us. Here is an opportunity to help effect a positive change in someone’s life. Will we care enough to try?

RAWA
Afghan Women For Female Rights