The first eighteen years of a child’s life encompass a wide range of capacities and vulnerabilities. ‘Children’ in any society, constitute the most vulnerable group who need ‘protection’, and they are a responsibility of the state as well as the members of the society. Sexual exploitation of children is a serious violation of the rights of children, and an intensely complex issue. Comprehending the need for a consistent and harmonized approach, international agencies and national governments have developed and implemented a variety of child protection measures. There is therefore, recognition of the need for a ‘child rights’ based approach to child sexual exploitation, as not just a criminal activity, but one that has profound human rights implications; both for victims and for the governments and civil society that must deal with them.
- Professor: Geeta Sekhon