Child labor increases by 88% in Alagoas.

Luana Martina, GazetaWeb - The campaign “It’s in your hands to protect our children” has a special focus on child labor, considered a normal practice by many people and which tends to increase during major events. According to the IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics), about 3 million boys and girls between the ages of 10 and 17 are in this situation. Therefore, one of the campaign's key aspects is centered on specific actions to raise awareness about the harmful effects of this practice, which can “open the door to other types of violations such as physical and psychological abuse, neglect, and sexual violence.”

In Alagoas, the numbers of child labor exploitation are significant. According to the Secretariat of Human Rights of the Presidency of the Republic, from January 2013 to April 2014, the hotline 100 registered 235 complaints, representing an 88% increase compared to the same period from 2012 to 2013. The data also reveal the most affected profile: girls aged 12 to 14, exploited by women aged between 25 and 30.

According to Edmilson de Souza, president of the State Forum of Guardianship Councils of the State of Alagoas, families in Alagoas have difficulty accepting that child labor is a violation of the rights of children and adolescents. "Especially in the interior of Alagoas, there is a culture of including children in fieldwork, open-air markets, small businesses, etc."

World cup

With the start of the World Cup, all eyes are on what happens within the "four lines" of the pitch. Fans paint themselves with the colors of their flags, the teams take to the field, and what prevails is the passion for football. However, mega-events like the World Cup tend to increase the risks of children and adolescents becoming victims of various forms of violence, especially those living in more vulnerable conditions. Child labor, sexual exploitation, abandonment, and neglect are some of the ways these minors, who need care and protection, are abused.

With this in mind, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Brazil, together with the federal government and the Save the Dream initiative – from the International Centre for Sports Security and the Qatar Olympic Committee – conceived the campaign "It's in your hands to protect our children". The objective is to contribute to the prevention of cases of violence and discrimination against boys and girls during this mega-event.

Launched on May 18th of this year, a day chosen to combat the abuse and sexual exploitation of children and adolescents, the campaign informs about the types of violence and gives Brazilians and foreigners who join the action a tool to report cases, which is the Proteja Brasil app for smartphones and tablets.

The Protect Brazil app was developed in partnership between UNICEF, the Secretariat of Human Rights of the Presidency of the Republic, and the NGO CEDEC-Bahia. Young digital entrepreneurs from the company IlhaSoft designed and developed the software free of charge. The app is available in Portuguese, English, and Spanish, and can be downloaded for free from the Apple Store or Google Play.

By accessing the user's location, the app provides phone numbers, addresses, and the best routes to reach specialized police stations, child protection councils, or organizations in Brazilian cities that work to protect children.

Prison in Maceió

On the 16th, a woman was arrested on suspicion of sexually exploiting minors in the Ponta Grossa neighborhood of Maceió. Franciele Santos Mendes, 38, was caught in the act of keeping two 17-year-old girls and a 15-year-old girl under a regime of sexual exploitation.

According to child welfare counselor Cinha Cerqueira, who was present at the time of the arrest, the mother of one of the teenagers sought help from the agency to remove her daughter, who had been living at the location for over a year. The Child Welfare Council and police officers from the 1st Military Police Battalion (1st BPM) confirmed the crime. From the outside, a simple house; inside, a scene resembling a bar and brothel.

At the time of the arrest, a notebook containing records of the money collected at the house was found. The notebook also contained the names of several girls who had been there and the amount of money they owed. One of the teenagers told the counselors that she was used at "sound system parties" to lure other minors.