We're inviting tourists in Uruguay to protect children and adolescents from sexual exploitation. We train youth promoters to reach tourists, local communities and tourism businesses to form a network of prevention against sexual exploitation. It's time to believe and protect! It's time to see and act! It's time to listen and speak out! Would you join the network?
In Uruguay, the commercial sexual exploitation of minors is illegal (stipulated by Uruguayan law N 17.815), however, children and adolescents are still victimized. The protective network, formed by youth promoters, the community and the tourism industry, must be strengthened in order to ensure that the dignity of all children and adolescents is respected.
Youth promoters participate in a series of training workshops, then carry out the awareness campaign in tourist entry points. The teens present creative and colorful street performances to promote interaction with tourists. They welcome tourists with a smile and offer them the "Passport to Uruguay, Against Child Sexual Exploitation", which provides information about prevention and how to report a case. TV and radio commercials are broadcast throughout the country to reinforce the message.
Over 180 youth promoters are being trained to work with the tourist population. The message against sexual exploitation reaches over 50,000 tourists- 10,000 tourists receive passports and brochures directly from the youth promoters, while at least 40,000 more come into contact with the message though the media. More than 30 tourist organizations and businesses (hotels, bus stations, airports, etc.) commit to protecting children and adolescents.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
