Situation in Cambodia and how HCC works
to overcome it:

To improve the lives of vulnerable children and women in Cambodia by eradicating human trafficking especially sexual and labour exploitation in order to mobilize the power of humanity. We believe in a world that no longer tolerates injustice to children and women.

Cambodia is a nation inundated with sexual abuse, labour exploitation and trafficking. Serious poverty, a lack of community based support mechanisms and a limited education leaves a large proportion of the rural population vulnerable to these human rights violations. In addition, there are strong societal and cultural factors that increase the vulnerability of women and girls to trafficking, sexual abuse and labour exploitation. The gender inequalities and discrimination experienced by women and girls in Cambodia can prevent them from taking control of their lives and can increase their vulnerability to exploitation.

Trafficking

Cambodia is a source, destination, and transit country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labour. Cambodians are sent to Malaysia or Thailand for labour or commercial sex exploitation and children are often sent to Bangkok or Vietnam to work as street beggars or forced child labourers. Domestic trafficking also occurs in Cambodia. A survey of sex workers in Phnom Penh found that a large percentage of the survey respondents had come from the rural areas of Kampong Cham and Prey Veng.

It is hard to provide a definite figure of trafficking victims as statistics cannot be completely reliable, due to the industry’s hidden, criminal, and dynamic nature. However, the Cambodian Women’s’ Crisis Centre (CWCC) reports that there are approximately 50,000 prostitutes of whom 64% were trafficked or sold into sexual exploitation in Cambodia. In addition, UNIAP states that “Evidence strongly suggests that greater numbers of children are now being sexually exploited and surveys conducted by NGOs indicate that there are 17 000 underage sex workers in Phnom Penh, of which 80% are trafficked against their will.”

Sexual Abuse

636 cases of sexual abuse and trafficking were reported in Cambodia in 2004, of these, 433 were children, most of them girls. However, it is estimated that between 60,000 to 80,000 women and children are sexually abused every year in Cambodia. Among the 356 complaints about rape received by ADHOC, the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association, 75% were minors, with 22% aged 15-17; 30% aged 11-14; 18% aged 7-10, and 5% aged 4-6 years old. According to a study on children’s perceptions of violence against other children, out of 1,314 children surveyed 63.5% of girls and 64% of boys said they know children who have been raped.

Child Labour

Children’s involvement in economic activity is widespread throughout Cambodia and is a key factor in children dropping out of school. It is estimated that over 50% of 7-14 year olds, which is over 1.4 million children, were economically active in 2001. About 90 percent of the economically active children work for their families as unpaid labour. It is estimated that 16% of children are economically active at age six, over half of all children by age 10, and by age 15 the number of children who are economically active is greater than the number enrolled in school. The Determinants of Children’s work are primarily family poverty or the need to supplement the family income.