Addressing the Unintended Consequences of Voluntourism on Child Exploitation, including Identity
Last month, the UN Special Rapporteur on sale and sexual exploitation (UN SR) and a consortium of stakeholders have produced a report that addresses the complex ethical dimensions of voluntourism and its effects on children. This report underscored the unintended yet damaging consequences – such as child exploitation and sexual abuse – of unregulated voluntourism particularly in orphanages and childcare institutions. One crucial aspect of this research is the focus of safeguarding children’s identities. Voluntourism frequently commodifies children, exploiting their images for marketing and fundraising campaigns, thus subjecting them to further risks of abuse and neglect.
The report emphasizes the need to strengthen legal and policy frameworks and redirect public and private funding away from orphanages towards family-oriented solutions. Furthermore, the UN SR advocates for enhanced cooperation and collaboration among all stakeholders involved and stresses the importance of tourism companies and intermediaries in protecting children from exploitation. The report also suggests implementing robust background checks on volunteers and guidelines for responsible tourism.
In light of these initiatives, CHIP welcomes the strategies laid out in the report, viewing them as substantial steps toward a regulated system of volunteering that respects and protects all aspects of a child’s life, including his or her identity.
