Poverty Rise Leads to Child Exploitation, says US Report

Rising levels of poverty has significantly contributed to increased risks of Fijian children being exploited in commercial sex and forced labour.

This was highlighted in the 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report released by the United States Government yesterday.

Findings of the report highlighted that in Fiji, traffickers exploit victims in commercial sex establishments, hotels, private homes, and massage parlors, and sometimes utilise websites and cell phone applications to facilitate the exploitation of sex trafficking victims.

The report stated that traffickers in Fiji, included family members, taxi drivers, foreign tourists, businessmen, crew members on foreign fishing vessels, and others.

According to the report, traffickers exploit Fijian and People’s Republic of China (PRC) national women and children in PRC national-operated massage parlors and commercial sex establishments, particularly in Suva.

“In some cases, massage parlor owners arrange for female Fijian employees to engage in commercial sex acts with clients in hotels or commercial sex establishments,” the report stated.

“Some Fijian children are at risk of sex and labour trafficking as families follow a traditional practice of sending them to live with relatives or families in larger cities, where they may be exploited in domestic servitude or sex trafficking in exchange for food, clothing, shelter, or school fees.

“Foreign yacht owners and foreigners hiring locally owned yachts dock in rural Fijian islands and seek young women, usually children, for marriage; some of these women and children subsequently become exploited in forced labor or sex trafficking.

“Taxi drivers or other facilitators transport Fijian child sex trafficking victims to hotels in popular tourist areas or to private yachts at the request of foreign tourists seeking commercial sex acts.”

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