Stats

1. Ecuador boasts a very high percentage of domestic abuse among women and girls. Eight out of every 10 women have experience physical or sexual violence (approx 83,000/year).

2. It is estimated that there are more than 800,000 children living and/or working on the streets of Ecuador.  Many children begin working as early as 4 years of age all hours of the day or night for as many as 13 hours a day. Twenty-seven percent of those children are forced into labor by their parents or others.  A third of these children have suffered sexual abuse and/or exploitation.

3.  99% of domestic activities are the responsibility of Ecuadorian women.  With the high poverty rate and approximately 70% of those living in poverty with children being single parents, it is often the responsibility of the oldest girl in the home to care for her younger siblings (on average 5-6 per household) beginning as early as 6 years of age.

4. At least 21.4% of all children in the country have been victims of sexual abuse by parents, relatives, neighbors or educators.  The incidence in Guayaquil is at least 21.8%.

5. 70% of girls received by one shelter have been victims of labor or sexual exploitation.

6. In the last 5 years approximately 1,449 (24/month) female minors have been rescued from sexual exploitation, and the incidence of sex trafficking continues to grow within the country as well as to and from surrounding countries.

7. Worldwide 4 million women are sold for use in sexual exploitation and 2 million girls and teenagers enter the sex trade.  The UN estimates approximately 50% of all trafficking victims worldwide are children.