Cheryl Perera

Last updated
Cheryl Perera
Nationality Canada
OccupationChildren's rights activist

Cheryl Perera (born 1986) is a Canadian children's rights activist. As a teenager, she founded OneChild, a non-governmental organization which seeks to eliminate the commercial sexual exploitation of children abroad. For her work, and in particular her achievements at a young age, Perera has received several accolades.

Contents

Advocacy

Perera first became involved in children's rights advocacy work after researching child sexual exploitation and sex tourism in Thailand for a high school class project. [1] [2] In 2002, at 17, she took three-and-a-half months off from school to continue her research in her parents' home country, Sri Lanka. [1] [2] [3] Shocked at the ease with which children could be exploited, she met with a Sri Lankan Presidential Advisor and the National Child Protection Authority to discuss the problems she saw. [3] [4]

The meeting led her to serve as bait herself in a sting operation to catch a sexual predator. [1] [5] Perera met with a man who had posted a solicitation for a 15-year-old girl on the Internet. After leading him to talk about his intentions on tape, they went to a nearby hotel where police were waiting to make the arrest. [6] [7]

Sri Lankan government invited her to serve as an adviser on child protection, but then she declined. [7] Perera returned to Canada, caught up on homework, graduated and enrolled at the University of Toronto. In 2005, she founded OneChild, a youth-driven and youth-run non-profit organization, in 2005. [2] [8] She was successful in lobbying the Canadian Tourism Board and the travel industry to take measures against child sexual tourism abroad, like showing a video about child sex tourism on some Air Canada flights. [4] [6] [7]

Perera has taken her advocacy to several countries struggling with sex tourism and human trafficking. In 2006 she went with a group to the Philippines to meet with the People's Recovery, Empowerment and Development Assistance Foundation (PREDA), an organization which provides support for former sex workers, and to provide monetary support for the creation of a rehabilitation center for rescued children. [3] [8] In 2010 she traveled to Pattaya, Thailand and other sex tourism destinations in Thailand and Southeast Asia, meeting with agencies to learn more about local issues, efforts, and where help is needed. [9]

For her activism and role in the law enforcement operation, Perera was given the title "President's Nominee on Child Protection", a permanent placement in the Presidential Secretariat. [3] Perera has been recognized as one of "Canada's Top 20 Under 20", [10] received the 2005 Impact Entrepreneur of the Year award, [11] and was named a BRICK Award Winner in 2007. [12]

In 2016 the World Economic Forum named Perera one of its Young Global Leaders. In April 2017, Perera was among 10 Canadian women recognized by L'Oreal Paris "Women of Worth" program. [13] In December 2018, she participated in the UN-sponsored The Global Compact on Migration conference in Marrakesh. [14]

See also

Related Research Articles

Sex tourism Travel to engage in sexual activity

Sex tourism refers to the practice of traveling to foreign countries, often on a different continent, with the intention of engaging in sexual activity or relationships in exchange for money or lifestyle support. This practice predominantly operates in countries where sex work is legal but there are countries where laws prohibit sex work. The World Tourism Organization of the United Nations has acknowledged this industry is organised both within and outside the structured laws and networks created by them.

Child sex tourism (CST) is tourism for the purpose of engaging in the prostitution of children, which is commercially facilitated child sexual abuse. The definition of child in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is "every human being below the age of 18 years". Child sex tourism results in both mental and physical consequences for the exploited children, which may include sexually transmitted infections, "drug addiction, pregnancy, malnutrition, social ostracism, and death", according to the State Department of the United States. Child sex tourism, part of the multibillion-dollar global sex tourism industry, is a form of child prostitution within the wider issue of commercial sexual exploitation of children. Child sex tourism victimizes approximately 2 million children around the world. The children who perform as prostitutes in the child sex tourism trade often have been lured or abducted into sexual slavery.

Child prostitution Prostitution involving a child

Child prostitution is prostitution involving a child, and it is a form of commercial sexual exploitation of children. The term normally refers to prostitution of a minor, or person under the legal age of consent. In most jurisdictions, child prostitution is illegal as part of general prohibition on prostitution.

Prostitution in Thailand Overview of the legality and practice of prostitution in Thailand

Prostitution in Thailand is not in itself illegal, but many of the activities associated with it are illegal. Because of police corruption and an economic reliance on prostitution dating back to the Vietnam War, it remains a significant presence in the country. It results from poverty, low levels of education and a lack of employment in rural areas. Prostitutes mostly come from the northeastern Isan region of Thailand, from ethnic minorities or from neighbouring countries, especially Myanmar and Laos. UNAIDS in 2019 estimated the total population of sex workers in Thailand to be 943,000.

Commercial sexual exploitation of children Commercial transaction that involves the sexual exploitation of a child

Commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) is a commercial transaction that involves the sexual exploitation of a child, or person under the age of consent. CSEC involves a range of abuses, including but not limited to: the prostitution of children, child pornography, stripping, erotic massage, phone sex lines, internet-based exploitation, and early forced marriage.

Sex trafficking Trade of sexual slaves

Sex trafficking is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation. It has been called a form of modern slavery because of the way victims are forced into sexual acts, usually non-consensually, in a form of sexual slavery. Perpetrators of the crime are called sex traffickers or pimps—people who manipulate victims to engage in various forms of commercial sex with paying customers. Sex traffickers use force, fraud, and coercion as they recruit, transport, and provide their victims as prostitutes. Sometimes victims are brought into a situation of dependency on their trafficker(s), financially or emotionally. Every aspect of sex trafficking is considered a crime, from acquisition to transportation and exploitation of victims. This includes any sexual exploitation of adults or minors, including child sex tourism (CST) and domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST).

Forced prostitution, also known as involuntary prostitution or compulsory prostitution, is prostitution or sexual slavery that takes place as a result of coercion by a third party. The terms "forced prostitution" or "enforced prostitution" appear in international and humanitarian conventions, such as the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, but have been inconsistently applied. "Forced prostitution" refers to conditions of control over a person who is coerced by another to engage in sexual activity.

Prostitution is illegal in Sri Lanka, and related activities such as soliciting, procuring, and brothels are outlawed. It is also illegal to traffic persons for prostitution, especially minors. Prostitution is not as widespread in Sri Lanka as in some neighbouring countries. It is estimated that there are 40,000 prostitutes in the country, and nearly half of them operate in Colombo.

Laura J. Lederer is a pioneer in the work to stop human trafficking. She is a legal scholar and former Senior Advisor on Trafficking in Persons in the Office for Democracy and Global Affairs of the United States Department of State. She has also been an activist against human trafficking, prostitution, pornography, and hate speech. Lederer is founder of The Protection Project, a legal research institute at Johns Hopkins University devoted to combating trafficking in persons.

An Associated Press (AP) investigation revealed in 2017 that more than 100 United Nations (UN) peacekeepers ran a child sex ring in Haiti over a 10-year period and none were ever jailed. The report further found that over the previous 12 years there had been almost 2,000 allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation by peacekeepers and other UN personnel around the world. AP found the abuse to be much greater than originally thought. After the AP report, U.S. Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, urged all countries to hold UN peacekeepers accountable for any sexual abuse and exploitation. As early as 2004, Amnesty International reported that under-age girls were being kidnapped, tortured and forced into prostitution in Kosovo with UN and NATO personnel being the customers driving the demand for the sex slaves. The UN's department of peacekeeping in New York acknowledged at that time that "peacekeepers have come to be seen as part of the problem in trafficking rather than the solution".

Thailand is a centre for child sex tourism and child prostitution. Even though domestic and international authorities work to protect children from sexual abuse, the problem still persists in Thailand and many other Southeast Asian countries. Child prostitution, like other forms of child sexual abuse, not only causes death and high morbidity rates in millions of children but also violates their rights and dignity.

Transnational efforts to prevent human trafficking are being made to prevent human trafficking in specific countries and around the world.

Sex trafficking in Thailand is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation and slavery that occurs in the Kingdom of Thailand. Thailand is a country of origin, destination, and transit for sex trafficking. Child prostitution in Thailand is a problem. In Thailand, close to 40,000 children under the age of 16 are believed to be in the sex trade, working in clubs, bars, and brothels.

Human trafficking is the trade of humans, most commonly for the purpose of forced labour, sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation for the trafficker or others. Mexico is a large source, transit, and destination country for victims of human trafficking.

ECPAT International Global network of organizations against child sexual exploitation

ECPAT International is a global network of civil society organisations that works to end the sexual exploitation of children. It focuses on halting the online sexual exploitation of children, the trafficking of children for sexual purposes, and the sexual exploitation of children in the travel and tourism industry.

Egypt is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children who are subjected to trafficking in persons, specifically forced labor and forced prostitution.

Prostitution in Maldives is illegal, but occurs on a small scale. A 2014 survey by the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) estimated there were 1,139 female prostitutes on the islands. Some women enter the country posing as tourists but then engage in sex work.

Prerana Indian non-governmental organization

Prerana is a non-governmental organization (NGO) that works in the red-light districts of Mumbai, India to protect children vulnerable to commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking. It was established in 1986.

Sex trafficking in Japan is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation and slavery that occurs in the country. Japan is a country of origin, destination, and transit for sexually trafficked persons.

Cybersex trafficking Online sexual exploitation

Cybersex trafficking, live streaming sexual abuse, webcam sex tourism/abuse or ICTs -facilitated sexual exploitation is a cybercrime involving sex trafficking and the live streaming of coerced sexual acts and/or rape on webcam.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Singh, Manjeet (11 November 2009). "He is not going to hurt another child:Cheryl Perera – Founder and President of One Child". South Asian GenerationNext.
  2. 1 2 3 McLean, Steve (6 December 2011). "Cheryl Perera's OneChild Seeks To Break The Chains Of Child Sex Slavery". SamaritanMag.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Basit, Tasnia. "Innocence Lost". One80. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011.
  4. 1 2 "Global National's Everyday Hero". Canada.com. 4 January 2008. Archived from the original on 2015-11-17. Retrieved 2015-11-16.
  5. ↑ MacDonald, Gayle (2 January 2012). "Starting a charity at 8? Meet the generation taking action". Globe and Mail.
  6. 1 2 "Agony of the stars". Daily News. 5 June 2008.
  7. 1 2 3 Bloch, Hannah (2016-04-22). "A Young Fighter Against Child Prostitution". Wall Street Journal. ISSN   0099-9660 . Retrieved 2019-03-03.
  8. 1 2 Weiss, Jordana (7 February 2007). "Rescued sex worker 'an inspiration'". Toronto Star . Archived from the original on 26 September 2012.
  9. ↑ "Warnings from the Red-Light Districts". UofTMagazine. 2011.
  10. ↑ "Two of Canada's Top 20 Under 20 award recipients talk to school children in Toronto on Thursday, May 25".
  11. ↑ "Impact - Awards". Impact. Archived from the original on 30 June 2007.
  12. ↑ "BRICK Award Winner: Cheryl Perera". HowStuffWorks. 22 February 2007. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
  13. ↑ "Cheryl Perera". Points of Light. 2017-04-06. Retrieved 2019-03-03.
  14. ↑ "World Leaders Welcome Marrakech Global Migration Deal | The North Africa Post". The North Africa Post. 2018-12-11. Retrieved 2019-03-03.
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