Sex Trafficking in Cambodia

1
Sex Trafficking in Cambodia

• Presenters
• Melissa Casey
• Juan Rafael Perez

2
Cambodian History

• Once known for temples, beaches, and rich culture
• Now poverty continues as globalization continues
• Face economic instability

3
The Issue

• Lack of job opportunities, Poor education.
• Now known for sex trafficking and sex tourism
• Demand for larger sex industry, inadequate law
  enforcement, and economic collapse contribute to
  growth of sex trafficking worldwide.

4
The issue

• Commercial sex industry on the rise in Cambodia.
• Concern of spreading HIV/AIDS
• Human rights violations
• Children working in sex brothels
• Children may face physical and psychological
  abuse.

5
Reasons Why Sex Trafficking is a Problem

• Poverty
• Inadequate opportunities
• Globalization
• Lucrative Business
• Corruption in the government and the judiciary

6
Extent of Sex Trafficking

• 45 of Cambodian women are illiterate.
• Only 15 of women in Cambodia find regular jobs
  so many turn to prostitution.
• 35 of the Cambodian population live below the
  poverty line (US .50 a day).
• Cambodian children from the rural areas are being
  sold in tourist towns.
• Estimates of about 100,000 sex slaves in Cambodia
  (population 13 million) and 35 of them are under
  the age of 18.
• Sex trafficking accounts for 10 of the gross
  domestic product.
• Judiciary fail to convict in 94 of cases.

7
Constitution of the Kingdom of Cambodia 1993 in
reference to sexual crime

• Article 46 Commerce of human beingshall be
  prohibited.
• Article 48 The state shall protect the rights of
  children, in particular the right to life,
  educationand from economic or sexual
  exploitation.

8
Constitution of the Kingdom of Cambodia 1993 in
reference to sexual crime

• Article 8 Any person who commits an act of
  debauchery involving a minor below 15 years old
  will be punished ten to twenty years in prison.

9
Rational Choice Theory

• Individuals will choose to do what is in their
  best interest.
• Benefits outweigh the cost
• Self-interest of money over violation of human
  rights
• Sex-trafficking is the best decision under their
  circumstances.

10
Social Conditions Explanations

• Individual is prone to criminal behavior due to
  poverty.
• Lack of educational opportunities causes
  sex-trafficking.
• Lack of employment for females also contributes
  to sex-trafficking
• The presence of deviance is the result of
  Cambodias weakening social structure.

11
Conflict Theory

• View that the fundamental causes of crime are the
  social and economic forces operating within
  society.
• Laws are thought to be operating on behalf of
  rich and powerful social elites, with resulting
  policies aimed at controlling the poor.
• Legal rights of poor individuals might be ignored.

12
What is being done?

• Five year plan against Sexual Exploitation in
  Cambodia.
• Partnering with Non-governmental organizations
  and United Nations programs.
• Establishes four major programs Prevention,
  Protection, Recovery, and Reintegration.
• Healthcare Center for Children (HCC) vigorously
  implements awareness-raising and income
  generating activities in rural areas.
• Cambodia has set up an Anti-Human-Trafficking and
  Juvenile Protection Unit