Source: World Bank

Perú is considered a rapidly-developing middle-income country with a population of approximately 28 million people and a gross national income per capita of $2,650 in 2005 (GNI, Atlas method). It has an area of 1.3 million sq. km. Perú’s GDP annual growth is at 6.4%.

Despite recent strong growth, there has been limited progress in inequality and poverty. The national poverty rate declined from 54 to 51.6 percent only from 2001 to 2004. Inequality, measured by the Gini coefficient, stood at 0.43 - below the Latin American average of 0.52, but still high by international standards. Policies focusing on promoting new social policy standards and addressing basic needs are key to improving these indicators. Lack of sufficient and adequate human capital, and of initial support systems for the poor are among the fundamental causes of poverty, particularly in the areas of education, health care, nutrition, and social assistance.
According to the 2003 World Bank Country Brief, during the last decade, investment in infrastructure and services led to improvements in many social indicators. From 1997 to 2001, secondary school attendance increased to 74 percent in urban areas (up 3.5 percent) and 44 percent in rural areas (up 7 percent). However, following four years of economic recession, between 1997 and 2001, the percentage of Peruvians living in poverty increased to 54.8 percent, while extreme poverty reached 24.4 percent of the population.

Realizing that consensus on development priorities is essential to move the country forward, the Peruvian government promoted dialogue and civil society participation in the selection of its strategies and programs. With the assistance of NGOs, the Catholic Church, and local governments, a process of consultation on reforms and public policy was initiated in 2001. Citizen roundtables to fight poverty --Mesas de concertación para la lucha contra la pobreza-- were established and a landmark national agreement was signed by major political parties and civil society organizations in July 2002. Therefore, there are strong political and social pressures throughout the country demanding regional development, subsidies or tax exemptions, and larger social benefits. Stemming the rise of poverty and combating it where it proves resilient represent major challenges for Perú in the near future. 

Source: El Estado de la Niñez en el Perú, UNICEF 2004

Child Labour: Perú has ratified both ILO Convention 182 [worst forms of child labour] and 138 [minimum age of employment]. The National Plan of Action considers activities for the prevention and eradication of child labour and its worst forms. A recent legislative change includes a law on human trafficking and illicit migrant smuggling. There is also a working relationship and hazardous noxious activities on the moral and physical health of Peruvian adolescents and a law modifying the Penal Code on themes related to the sexual exploitation of children and adolescents. In addition, the Labour Ministries have specialized departments for the authorization and inspection of the adolescent labour over the legal minimum age of admission to employment. A listing has been established with labour and hazardous activities with diverse public authorities in charge of its implementation monitoring.

Perú has government schemes targeted specifically at the worst forms of child labour including child slavery and bondage, child trafficking, child prostitution and pornography, and children engaged in illicit activities. However, it does not focus on children in armed conflicts/child soldiers.
According to the 2004 UNICEF’s State of Children in Perú (El Estado de la Niñez en el Perú), one in four persons under the age of 18 works. 28.1% of boys and 20.9% of girls are working, making the total at 24.6%. These percentages translate to 1,042,400 boys and adolescents and 747,000 girls and adolescents who are working (total 1,789,400). Of these, 25.1% of boys and 12.8% of girls (20% total) receive any kind of remuneration. Specifically, in the age range of 5-11 years, 16.5% of boys and 14.8% of girls work. Child labour is associated with poverty: 39% of children in extreme poverty work while 22% of children in poverty (not extreme) work. 4% of children 5-11 years old in urban areas work while 30% of children in rural areas do so. This shows a pattern difference in behavior since in rural areas, child labour is common and “traditional” and is considered as part of a child’s education. The average working hours for ages 5-11 for boys in urban areas is 11.0 and 12.3 for girls. In rural areas, the hours increase to 13.8 for boys and 14.2 for girls. The latest statistical data from Global March partners in Perú refers to 1,987,165 child labourers in the country.

In the “Summit of the Americas” in Argentina in 2005, the Peruvian president, along with all attending Presidents, agreed on the objectives of the elimination of the worst forms of child labour by 2015 and the elimination of child labour by 2020.

As reported in The Herald (Harare) on June 27, 2007, Zimbabwe is afflicted by child labour and the issues have also been compounded by the HIV/AIDS scourge and the increasing number of child headed families. The fight against child labour, particularly in the agricultural sector, is not only the concern of the International Labour Organization alone but that of governments, employers and other social partners, including the Food and Agricultural Organization and the International Fund for Agriculture. Zimbabwe also has an action plan coordinated by the government, UN agencies and civil society organizations that protects and ensures orphans and other children in difficult circumstances have access to amenities such as food, health services, and education, seeking to protect them from abuse and exploitation.

Source: EFA Global Monitoring Report 2007

Education: According to the EFA Global Monitoring Report 2007, in 2004 the net enrollment ratio for primary education was 97% in the age group 6-11. Of the 4,133,000 children enrolled in primary education, 49% were girls. Perú ranks 67 in the Education for All Development Index (2007). According to Global March’s partner regional reports, the numbers are now higher than previously reported. Out of a child population of 10,720,000 there are 7,700,000 primary school children of which 1,200,000 are out of school.

In Perú the 2003-04 average aid to education (constant 2003 US$) was US$35.5 million while the aid to education per capita was US$1.3 (EFA Global Monitoring Report 2007). For 2004, the public expenditure per student as a percentage of GDP per capita was 6.4% for primary education while the total public expenditure on education as a percentage of total government expenditure was 17.1% and 3% of GDP (Global Education Digest 2006: Comparing Education Statistics Across the World). There are no reported special allocations with a special focus on girls’ education.

Perú is committed to the objectives of Education for All, established at the World Education Forum (Dakar 2000) committing itself that “in 2015 all children…will have access to a compulsory, free, good quality primary education, and complete a full course of primary schooling.”

Poverty: Even though 88% of adults are literate (93% males and 82% females), 37.7% of the population still lives on less than US$2 per day (1990-2003, EFA Global Monitoring Report 2007). The annual inflation rate is 3.4%.  According to the CIA World Factbook 2006 estimates, the unemployment rate is 7.2% in metropolitan Lima with widespread underemployment.

Poverty is heavily concentrated in rural areas, where more than two-thirds of the population is poor. The incidence of poverty varies across regions. Poverty rates in the sierra (highlands) and selva (jungle) are nearly double that of coastal regions. More than half of the extremely poor population resides in the rural sierra, though it has less than a quarter of the national population. Indigenous peoples comprise an estimated 15% of the population, but have a poverty rate of 70% (2003 World Bank Country Brief).
Even though Perú has a Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper, the issue of child labour is not reflected despite the fact that Perú has 1,987,165 child labourers. Furthermore, there is no integrated policy on child labour elimination linked with education for all and poverty alleviation.

Transnational Issues:
Internally Displaced Persons: 60,000 (civil war from 1980-2000; most IDPs are indigenous peasants in Andean and Amazonian regions) (2005)

Source: CIA The World Factbook

Trafficking in Persons: Perú is a source country for women and children trafficked within the county for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation. Most victims are young women and girls recruited from rural areas and lured or coerced into prostitution in urban bars, brothels, and nightclubs. Peruvians are also trafficked for sexual exploitation to Italy, Japan, Spain, and the United States. The government acknowledges that child sex tourism exists, especially in the Amazon. Adults and children are also trafficked into conditions of forced labour in Perú’s logging, mining, and brickmaking sectors, and as domestic servants.

Tier rating: Tier 2 - The Government of Perú does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so. In January 2007, the Peruvian
Congress passed Law 28950, which criminally prohibits all forms of trafficking and prescribes tougher penalties against traffickers, authorizing undercover and covert police operations and greater protection for trafficking victims and witnesses. 

Source: 2007 Trafficking in Persons Report