{"id":8171,"date":"2012-08-27T03:31:08","date_gmt":"2012-08-27T10:31:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/humanium.org\/en\/?page_id=8171"},"modified":"2025-12-05T16:17:18","modified_gmt":"2025-12-05T16:17:18","slug":"paraguay","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/paraguay\/","title":{"rendered":"Children of Paraguay"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Realizing Children&#8217;s Rights in&nbsp;Paraguay<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-rounded\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Shutterstock_1503601280.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-63295\" style=\"width:200px;height:200px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Shutterstock_1503601280.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Shutterstock_1503601280-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Shutterstock_1503601280-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Shutterstock_1503601280-230x230.jpg 230w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Shutterstock_1503601280-350x350.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-rounded\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Shutterstock_2181787145-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-63296\" style=\"width:200px;height:200px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Shutterstock_2181787145-1.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Shutterstock_2181787145-1-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Shutterstock_2181787145-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Shutterstock_2181787145-1-230x230.jpg 230w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Shutterstock_2181787145-1-350x350.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Paraguay is a landlocked country located in the northern part of South America. With a population of 7.3 million, 35 percent are children. The main issues which affect the children of Paraguay are related to the widespread poverty in the country which is the entry point leading to several other risk factors, such as child labour, child sex tourism, child marriage, early school dropouts&nbsp;and malnutrition.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d7500075.602669734!2d-62.94569839311411!3d-23.382924463102196!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x945c083490f13d63%3A0xb3faff611d582ef3!2sParaguay!5e0!3m2!1sen!2spt!4v1687560690173!5m2!1sen!2spt\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" style=\"border:0;\" allowfullscreen=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>Population:<\/strong> 7.3 million<br><strong>Pop. ages 0-14:<\/strong>&nbsp;29%<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>Life expectancy:<\/strong>&nbsp;74 years<br><strong>Under-5 mortality rate:<\/strong>&nbsp;19 \u2030<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Paraguay at a glance&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Paraguay is a landlocked country in the northern portion of South <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/americas\/\">America<\/a> neighboring <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/argentina\/\">Argentina<\/a> to the south and southwest, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/brazil\/\">Brazil<\/a> to the east and northeast, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/bolivia\/\">Bolivia<\/a> to the northwest. With an estimated population of 7.3 million, nearly 63 percent live in urban areas and 37 percent live in rural areas (UNICEF, 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The proportion of people living in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/poverty\/\">poverty<\/a> has risen from 24 percent in 2019 to 27 percent in 2020. People living below the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/poverty\/\">poverty<\/a> line amount to 0.8 percent in 2020 (World Bank, 2022).Rural poverty continues to be higher than urban poverty (34 percent compared with 23 percent) (UNICEF, 2021). According to the National Statistics Institute (INE, 2020), child poverty increased from 33 percent to 36 percent between 2019 and 2020. In 2020, the government prioritized investment in the health and economic sectors. Public investment in children represented 4.7 percent of the GDP and most of them were dedicated to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/right-to-education\/\">education<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/health-2\/\">health<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The population of children in Paraguay amounts to 35 percent (2.5 million) and it is composed of&nbsp; 667,000 children aged between 0 \u2013 4 years, 720,000 children aged between 5 and 9 years, 685,000 children aged between 10 and 14 years and 438,000 children aged between 15 and 17 years (INE, 2020).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Paraguay has a more homogeneous population than most other countries in South America. Most Paraguayans are of European and Guaran\u00ed ancestry. Guaran\u00ed culture is strongly represented through folk art and festivals, and Guaran\u00ed was designated an official language of Paraguay in the country\u2019s 1992 constitution. It is a matter of national pride for Paraguayans to converse in Guaran\u00ed, which acts as a strong marker of their identity (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2022).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Status of children\u2019s rights <a href=\"#_ftn1\"><strong>[1]<\/strong><\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"672\" src=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/shutterstock_1171893268-1024x672.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-63297\" style=\"width:259px;height:170px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/shutterstock_1171893268-1024x672.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/shutterstock_1171893268-300x197.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/shutterstock_1171893268-768x504.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/shutterstock_1171893268-1536x1008.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/shutterstock_1171893268-2048x1344.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/shutterstock_1171893268-830x545.jpg 830w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/shutterstock_1171893268-230x151.jpg 230w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/shutterstock_1171893268-350x230.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/shutterstock_1171893268-480x315.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Paraguay is one of the poorest nations in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/americas\/\">Americas<\/a>. Nearly 40 per cent of the population live a life steeped in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/poverty\/\">poverty<\/a>. Many of them lack <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/health-2\/\">sanitation<\/a>, clean <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/water\/\">water<\/a>, electricity and decent housing. The country is currently ranked 111th by the United Nations Human Development Index (HDI), an index that evaluates development in a country by looking at three key indicators: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/health-2\/\">health<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/poverty\/\">income<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/right-to-education\/\">education<\/a> (SOS Children\u2019s Villages, 2022).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Children suffer from a&nbsp; lack of access to healthcare, adequate nutrition, education and shelter. As mentioned above,&nbsp; poverty remains to be the root cause. In fact, people living below the poverty line amount to 0.8 percent in 2020 (World Bank, 2022) and rural poverty continues to be higher than urban poverty (34 percent compared with 23 percent) (UNICEF, 2021). Poverty is also additionally responsible for the perpetuation of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/violence\/\">harmful practices<\/a>, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/child-labour\/\">child labour<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/child-marriage\/\">early child marriage<\/a> and pregnancy, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/violence\/\">violence<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Paraguay has signed a wide range of international treaties aiming to protect the wellbeing of children and to safeguard their rights. For instance, Paraguay ratified the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/convention\/\">Convention on the Rights of the Child<\/a> in 1990 and it has adopted also the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/protocol-child-soldier\/\">Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict<\/a> in 2002 and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/protocol-child-sale\/\">Optional Protocol on the sale of children child prostitution and child pornography<\/a> in 2003 (OHCHR, 2022).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Moreover, in 1990 Paraguay decided to adopt the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment as well as the Optional Protocol of the Convention against Torture in 2005 (OHCHR, 2022). Finally, in order to protect the most vulnerable including girls and children with disabilities, in 1987 Paraguay signed the adoption of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and in 2008 it adopted the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (OHCHR, 2022).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite some general improvements in children\u2019s living conditions since the adoption of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/convention\/\">Convention on the Rights of the Child<\/a> in 1990, Paraguay is still far from reaching significant improvements in regard to children\u2019s rights and protection.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Addressing the needs of children<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Right to health<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The maternal mortality rate per 100,000 decreased from 162 in 2000 to 68 in 2019, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/infant-mortality\/\">neonatal mortality<\/a> fell from 10.9 to 8.4 per 1,000. According to the Ministry of Health (MoH), <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/the-impact-of-the-covid-19-pandemic-on-child-mortality-and-its-collateral-damage\/\">COVID-19 complications<\/a> caused 62 percent of maternal deaths in the first semester of 2021. Only half of newborns began breastfeeding within the first hour after birth, and only 31 percent of children under 6 months received exclusive breastfeeding (UNICEF, 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/shutterstock_475487914-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-63300\" style=\"width:265px;height:177px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/shutterstock_475487914-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/shutterstock_475487914-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/shutterstock_475487914-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/shutterstock_475487914-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/shutterstock_475487914-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/shutterstock_475487914-830x553.jpg 830w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/shutterstock_475487914-230x153.jpg 230w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/shutterstock_475487914-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/shutterstock_475487914-480x320.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/shutterstock_475487914-272x182.jpg 272w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>In 2020, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/infant-mortality\/\">underweight in children under 5 years<\/a> was at&nbsp; 5.3 percent, while wasting affected&nbsp; 5.6 percent, and stunting affected&nbsp; 12.7 percent, with a higher incidence in male children and rural areas. On the other hand, 15 percent of children were overweight, and obesity impacted&nbsp; 7.2 percent of children. It is worth noting that obesity rates were higher among male children and children living in urban areas (UNICEF, 2021). According to the National Statistics Institute (INE, 2020), only 22.9 percent of children are covered by health insurance and most of them live in urban areas (30 percent) rather than in rural areas (12 percent).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In today\u2019s climate, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/childrens-mental-wellbeing\/\">mental health<\/a> is being rightfully prioritized, especially when it comes to children. In 2020, suicide rates among children, adolescents, and young people groups (10 to 24 years) represented 41 percent of the total number of suicide cases (500). According to the U-Report poll on mental health, \u201cHow do we feel?\u201d carried out by UNICEF in Paraguay, 72 percent of adolescents and young people reported feelings of sadness, loneliness, depression, frustration, and stress in the last year; and 55 percent of respondents indicated that mental health was a concern for them (UNICEF, 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Right to identity<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Birth registration continues to be a challenge: there were estimated to be 144,000 births, but only three-quarters were registered by the MoH. By 2020, 19 percent of children under 1 year of age were not registered at birth, and this rate is significantly higher for indigenous populations, reaching 42 percent (UNICEF, 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Right to water<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2019, around 88 percent of households had access to improved <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/water\/\">water<\/a> sources through network providers, and 80 percent, to safe drinking water. Some 82 percent had improved <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/health-2\/\">sanitation infrastructure<\/a>, but only 15 percent had access to sanitary sewer systems and 7.5 percent had access to effluent treatment systems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>WASH deficits impact peri-urban and rural marginalized settings more severely, than they do poor and underserved populations, dispersed communities, precarious settlements and indigenous populations. In 2020, public financing of social protection and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) was significantly impacted, dropping by 11 percent and 85 percent, respectively, in 2019 (UNICEF, 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Right to education<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2021, out of 1, 546,022 students nationwide, 46 percent benefited from face-to-face classes, while the rest attended distance <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/right-to-education\/\">education<\/a> through web platforms, radio, and hybrid classes. The highest out-of-school rates corresponded to 5-year-old children (20 percent) and adolescents (15 to 17 years) (17 percent). In 2021, 243,000 adolescents (13 to 17 years) were out of school, and 47,000 children (7\u201315 years) did not enroll back into school, which corresponds to the global 5 percent school dropout rate year on year.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Out of more than 212,000 out-of-school adolescents (15 to 19 years), 47 percent reported that lack of financial stability was the main reason why they did not attend school. The illiteracy rate in Paraguay is 1.4 percent, with a higher incidence in rural areas (1.9 percent) than in urban areas (1.4 percent). According to the Ministry of Education (MoE), 58 percent of children were enrolled in preschool in 2021, a slight drop from 60 percent in the previous year.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The net enrolment rate was 75 percent in primary school, 60 percent in middle school and only 54 percent in upper secondary school. According to the National Statistics Institute (INE, 2020), 93 percent of children between 5 and 17 attended school in 2020: children between 10 and 14 are the most enrolled in schools, followed by children between 5 and 9 (95 percent) and children between 15 and 17 (84 percent).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Risk factors \u2192 Country-specific challenges<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Child <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/exploitation\/\"><strong>exploitation<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Data from the Ministry of Children and Adolescents (MINNA) and the Public Ministry indicate there were over 10,600 cases of violence against children in 2020, a quarter of which were cases of sexual <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/abuse\/\">abuse<\/a>. In the first semester of 2021, almost 1,500 reported cases were linked to sexual violence, an incidence rate of 59 per 100,000 children and adolescents (UNICEF, 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Child sex tourism is an additional feature of violence that affects Paraguayan children. Young girls and boys are often kidnapped and exploited for sexual, commercial, or domestic service purposes. In fact, Paraguay is a source, transit and destination country for child trafficking for labour and sexual purposes, especially within the Tri-Border Area (Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay). Child domestic workers are particularly vulnerable to trafficking for sexual purposes. Children and adolescents from rural areas are often trafficked into bigger cities such as Asunci\u00f3n or Ciudad del Este for purposes related to the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) (ECPAT, 2022).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Poverty<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"637\" src=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/shutterstock_1525552739-1024x637.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-63298\" style=\"width:271px;height:169px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/shutterstock_1525552739-1024x637.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/shutterstock_1525552739-300x187.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/shutterstock_1525552739-768x478.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/shutterstock_1525552739-1536x956.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/shutterstock_1525552739-2048x1275.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/shutterstock_1525552739-830x517.jpg 830w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/shutterstock_1525552739-230x143.jpg 230w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/shutterstock_1525552739-350x218.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/shutterstock_1525552739-480x299.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The proportion of people living in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/poverty\/\">poverty<\/a> rose from 24 percent in 2019 to 27 percent in 2020. People living below the poverty line amounted to 0.8 percent in 2020 (World Bank, 2022). Rural poverty continues to be higher than urban poverty (34 percent compared with 23 percent) (UNICEF, 2021). According to the National Statistics Institute (INE, 2020), child poverty increased from 33 percent to 36 percent between 2019 and 2020.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Understanding that poverty closes several doors in regard to children accessing their rights, one must also consider inevitable consequences as a result such as child labour, violence and abuse. According to the National Statistics Institute (INE, 2020), 36 percent of children (911.000 children) live in poor living conditions, and 6 percent of them live in extreme poverty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Child labour<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Children in Paraguay are subjected to the worst forms of child labor, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/child-labour\/\">domestic servitude<\/a>, sometimes as a result of human trafficking, as well as debt bondage in cattle raising, dairy farms, and in charcoal factories (Bureau of International Labor Affairs, 2020). Many young children are subject to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/child-labour\/\">forced labor<\/a>, particularly in the Chaco region. Poor children are being trafficked from rural areas to larger cities such as Asunci\u00f3n or Ciudad del Este where they experience commercial sexual exploitation and are treated like modern-day slaves.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/shutterstock_1165833847-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-63299\" style=\"width:265px;height:178px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/shutterstock_1165833847-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/shutterstock_1165833847-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/shutterstock_1165833847-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/shutterstock_1165833847-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/shutterstock_1165833847-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/shutterstock_1165833847-830x553.jpg 830w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/shutterstock_1165833847-230x153.jpg 230w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/shutterstock_1165833847-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/shutterstock_1165833847-480x320.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/shutterstock_1165833847-272x182.jpg 272w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>In addition, limited funding for law enforcement agencies and social programs hampered the government\u2019s ability to fully address the worst forms of child labor, particularly in rural areas. Paraguay&#8217;s criminal law enforcement agencies also lack the resources to sufficiently identify, investigate, and prosecute cases of the worst forms of child labor, especially in remote areas (Bureau of International Labor Affairs, 2020).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Street children<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Many children from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/poor-children\/\">poor<\/a> families either decide or are forced to leave their homes to go to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/child-labour\/\">work<\/a> and live on the streets. This situation causes children to be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/separating-families\/\">separated from their families<\/a> and communications.&nbsp; Their lives are very difficult and since they have no protection they are easy prey for traffickers, who are quick to force them into <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/child-prostitution\/\">prostitution<\/a> or place them with families where they are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/sexual-abuse-children\/\">exploited<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Human trafficking recruiters specifically target street children, knowing that without family support they are particularly vulnerable (SOS Children\u2019s Villages, 2022). Children from rural and indigenous communities also face difficulties accessing and completing their education, including language barriers and inadequate facilities and staff at schools.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, the government has increased measures against those who <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/child-trafficking\/\">traffic children<\/a>, which has resulted in a decrease in the practice. Living in the street increases the possibility for a child to experience violence or harmful practices or jobs for the purpose of surviving. When it comes to living in the street, having access to adequate nutrition, water, sanitation and protection becomes a challenge and street children may be involved in bad situations with only the aim of surviving.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Child marriages<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Paraguayan children are often the object of child marriages. According to Girlsnotbrides (2020), in 2020, 22% of girls in Paraguay were married or in a union by their 18th birthday and 4% were married or in a union before the age of 15. These marriages can have serious consequences on children\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/fundamental-rights-2\/health\/\">health<\/a> since they are not psychologically prepared, and they do not understand all the obligations of the union. Additionally, young girls may get pregnant early, incurring serious consequences for their health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Written by Arianna Braga<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Internally proofread by Aditi Partha<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Last updated on 29 July 2022<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>References:<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">Bureau of International Labor Affairs (2020). Paraguay country profile. Retrieved from: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dol.gov\/sites\/dolgov\/files\/ILAB\/child_labor_reports\/tda2020\/Paraguay.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/www.dol.gov\/sites\/dolgov\/files\/ILAB\/child_labor_reports\/tda2020\/Paraguay.pdf<\/a>, accessed on 17 August 2022.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">ECPAT (2022). Paraguay country page of ECPAT (2022). Retrieved from ECPAT at <a href=\"https:\/\/ecpat.org\/country\/paraguay\/#resources\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/ecpat.org\/country\/paraguay\/#resources<\/a>, accessed on 29 July 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">Encyclopedia Britannica (2022)., Paraguay. Retrieved from Encyclopedia Britannica at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Paraguay\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Paraguay<\/a>, accessed on 29 July 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">Girlsnotbrides (2020). Paraguay country profile (2020). Retrieved from Girlsnotbrides at: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.girlsnotbrides.org\/learning-resources\/child-marriage-atlas\/atlas\/paraguay\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/www.girlsnotbrides.org\/learning-resources\/child-marriage-atlas\/atlas\/paraguay\/<\/a>, accessed on 29 July 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">INE (2020). Indicadores de la Ni\u00f1ez y Adolescencia (0 a 17 A\u00f1os) (2020). Retrieved from National Statistics Institute (INE) at: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ine.gov.py\/publication-single.php?codec=MTY4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/www.ine.gov.py\/publication-single.php?codec=MTY4<\/a>, accessed on 29 July 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">OHCHR (2022). UN Treaty Body Database. Retrieved from: <a href=\"https:\/\/tbinternet.ohchr.org\/_layouts\/15\/TreatyBodyExternal\/Treaty.aspx?CountryID=135&amp;Lang=EN\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/tbinternet.ohchr.org\/_layouts\/15\/TreatyBodyExternal\/Treaty.aspx?CountryID=135&amp;Lang=EN<\/a>, accessed on 17 August 2022.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">SOS Children\u2019s Villages (2022). General information on Paraguay. . Retrieved from SOS Children\u2019s Villages at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sos-childrensvillages.org\/where-we-help\/americas\/paraguay\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/www.sos-childrensvillages.org\/where-we-help\/americas\/paraguay<\/a>, accessed on 29 July 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">UNICEF (2021). Country Office Annual Report 2021 \u2013 Paraguay. Retrieved from UNICEF at:&nbsp; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.unicef.org\/media\/116356\/file\/Paraguay-2021-COAR.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/www.unicef.org\/media\/116356\/file\/Paraguay-2021-COAR.pdf<\/a>, accessed on 29 July 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">World Bank (2022). Paraguay Overview. Retrieved from World Bank at:&nbsp; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.worldbank.org\/en\/country\/paraguay\/overview\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/www.worldbank.org\/en\/country\/paraguay\/overview<\/a>, accessed on 29 July 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a href=\"#_ftnref1\">[1]<\/a> This article by no means purports to give a full or representative account of children\u2019s rights in Paraguay; indeed, one of the many challenges is the scant updated information on Paraguayans children, much of which is unreliable, not representative, outdated or simply non-existent.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Realizing Children&#8217;s Rights in&nbsp;Paraguay Paraguay is a landlocked country located in the northern part of South America. With a population of 7.3 million, 35 percent are children. The main issues which affect the children of Paraguay are related to the widespread poverty in the country which is the entry point leading to several other risk [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-8171","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Children of Paraguay - Humanium<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The main issues affecting children in Paraguay are related to the widespread poverty in the country.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/paraguay\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Children of Paraguay - 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