Sexual exploitation of children widespread in South Asia

Millions of children in South Asia remain vulnerable to the sexual exploitation for commercial purposes, child rights experts said here today.
The experts, who have gathered here to attend a three-day consultation 'On Action to Stop Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children' hosted by ECPAT (End Child Prostitution and Trafficking), pointed out the precarious situation of child rights in South Asia and discussed ways to eradicate their sexual exploitation.
The abuse of children's rights through prostitution, pornography, their sexual exploitation in travel and tourism, and their trafficking for sexual purposes calls for a systematic and sustained response, they said.
"Although some measures have already been taken against the commercial sexual exploitation of children, research demonstrates that it continues to be a pervasive problem in South Asia, affecting millions of girls and boys," Dorothy Rozga, Executive Director of ECPAT International, said.

The experts discussed the changing nature of commercial sexual exploitation of children, due in part to emerging trends such as increased accessibility of children through online mediums and access to cheap mass travel for sex offenders.
The main purpose of the South Asia Consultation was to formulate regional priorities and develop suitable strategies to address the issue in this region, experts said.
The conference brings together ECPAT member organisations, policy makers and child rights experts to analyse the current trends, developments, progress and challenges in tackling the sexual exploitation of children in South Asia.