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Peru
Peru remains affected by high levels of inequality and social exclusion, despite achieving one of the highest rates of economic growth in the world over recent years (60.2% from 2002 - 2009). 7 of every 10 children under one are anaemic, as are 1 in every 4 pregnant women. Rural rates of chronic malnutrition in children under 5 are 40.3%. Chronic malnutrition in the region of Huancavelica (53.6%) is similar to Burundi, Madagascar or Malawi (53%). 87% of children with disabilities do not attend school.
In Peru, 13.2% of the population speaks Quechua. Only 11% of 1 million indigenous children are taught in their native language, Quechua. As a result, only 2% and 6% develop skills for reading in their original language.
Matriculation rates amongst indigenous girls in the Amazon (52.6%) are similar to those in Sudan (52%).
In the first three months of 2011, there are more than 900 cases of violence and abuse against children.
Only 12% of children under 3 years old have access to educational services1.
Trafficking of children
According to the Official System of Registry and Statistics of the Crime of Human Trafficking (RETA PNP), between 2004 and April 2011, there were 407 cases of trafficking. Of these, 76% are cases of sexual exploitation and 18% for labor exploitation. The 407 cases reported 1067 victims and 594 of them were children (536 girls and 58 boys)2.
Children used as soldiers
In Peru two conditions occur on the use of children in armed conflicts: first, the children recruited by the armed group Sendero Luminoso and the other, the numerous complaints about the enlistment of children by the Army.
During 2009, the Ombudsman received 109 complaints of child recruitment by armed groups3.
Children and natural disasters
The 2007 Ica earthquake left thousands of children in a vulnerable situation. In this context, Save the Children provided immediate help to protect the physical and emotional safety of four thousand affected children. Save the Children worked with more than two thousand children in emotional healing through art, and provided psychosocial care and prevention of post-traumatic stress to more than five thousand children.
Child Labour
According to the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI), in Peru there are 3.3 million child workers; 33% of them are under 12 years. In addition, an estimated 141 000 children work in the street, 101 000 work at night and 87 000 are in contact with waste.
The same organizations reported that 2.3 million children have dangerous works. They are in contact with chemicals, heavy lifting and work long hours, especially at night.
Corporal Punishment
Physical and humiliating punishment is a common practice in Peru. This harmful practice is socially accepted and it is not prohibited by law. In the first three months of 2011, the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs registered more than 900 cases of violence and abuse against children.
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15 Year Old Edith Fights Against Corporal Punishment in Peru
In 2015, Peru passed a law banning the use of corporal punishment against children. This video introduces Edith, a young girl living in Lima. She shares her experiences and viewpoints on corporal punishment and the importance of educating others about the
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Adolescents and Youth: A comprehensive approach in Latin America and the Caribbean
Save the Children recognizes adolescents and youth as social actors and agents of change, yet they often face significant rights violations and lack of access to education and other services. Save the Children programming prioritizes the needs of adolesce
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End Violence Against Children Now
The year 2015 has witnessed extensive progress towards universal prohibition of physical and humiliating punishment of children, more than half of UN member states have now achieved legal prohibition in all settings or have expressed a committment to doin
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Calidad de los Servicios de Protección
This study, “Quality of Protection Services for Children”, presents advances in the quality of attention within violence-related protection services, and identifies critical areas that limit the quality of these services. This document emphasizes the impo
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Nélida, teacher in Peru, fights for schools free from corporal punishment
This film introduces Nélida, a teacher in Peru, and her experiences of violence in the classroom. 10 million children live in Peru and approximately 6 million have experienced violence. Nélida is taking classes on the use of positive discipline and its ap
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Problemas en los servicios de salud y justicia en la atención a víctimas de violación sexual en el Perú: Un estudio exploratorio sobre el departamento de huánuco
El Departmento de Huánco reported an increase in reported rape during the past years, which implies a greater demand for services for the care of the victims. This makes it necessary to know the potential problems that can affect the protection of the rig
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Análisis de género. Niños, niñas y adolescentes trabajadores en las regiones de Cusco, Ica y Ayacucho
Child labor is a social phenomenon that has become one of the great problems of the contemporary world. In Peru, there are 1 659 000 working children, of which 832 000 are under 14 years of age, the minimum age to be able to work according to the laws of
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Guia de Procedimiento en Casos de Violencia a Niños, Niñas y Adolescentes
Guia de Procedimiento en Casos de Violencia a Niños, Niñas y Adolescentes (Guide to Procedures in Violence Cases for Children and Adolescents in Ica) was developed by Save the Children’s project “Children Without Violence”, in cooperation with CODEHICA.
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The Multi-Country Study on the Drivers of Violence Affecting Children: A cross-country snapshot of findings
The Multi-Country Study on the Drivers of Violence Affecting Children is an on-going, four-country study in Italy, Peru, Viet Nam and Zimbabwe, led by the UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti and its academic partner the University of Edinburgh. The stud
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Systematización del proyecto leer juntos, aprender juntos
This systematization highlights the work carried out in the framework of the Read Together, Learn Together project that was implemented in 97 schools and 49 communities in Peru. The project focused on the development of reading in five key areas: literacy