Population Reference Bureau -2004

TOTAL CHILD LABOUR

There is no federally mandated minimum age of employment, but state imposed compulsory educational requirements, enforced by state educational authorities, effectively prevented most children from joining the work force full time until they were 15 or 16 years of age.

US Dept. of State, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices- 2004, February 2005

ECONOMICALLY ACTIVE POPULATION

For the year 2010, the total economically active population is estimated to be 10,733,000 with no child in the age group of 10-14 years being economically active.

ILO, Bureau of Statistics, Economically Active Population

1010 females for 1000 males

CIA, factbook-2005 (Fig is an estimate for 2005)

CHILDREN OUT OF SCHOOL

In 2001, 75,400 primary school going age children of 5-11 years were out of school

UNESCO's EFA Global Monitoring Report 2005

PROGRESS ON PRIMARY EDUCATION MDG

No confirmed data

CHILD SLAVERY

Impoverished men and women (and even girls as young as 13) often resort to selling their own bodies. And people so desperate and poor are all too willing to believe traffickers' promises and are thus easily lured into slavery. Entire slavery syndicates exist, which stretch from the brothels of Australia's major cities to those of Southeast Asia.

I Abolish, The Anti-Slavery Portal

Australia is a significant destination centre for the trafficking of women and children. It has been reported that international crime syndicates have been trafficking up to 300 Thai women to Australia each year. Some accounts state that there are many Thai women working as sex slaves in Sydney brothels who are often held in debt bondage. There are also reports of recruiters from Australia who go to Russia to hire women for "table top dancing" in clubs, which often have links to brothels.

ECPAT CSEC Database, http://www.ecpat.net/eng/
Ecpat_inter/projects/monitoring/
online_database/index.asp

CHILD PROSTITUTION & PRONOGRAPHY

With increase in tourism in the Pacific islands, there is an increase in operation of paedophile rings to recruit children into the sex trade.  Many Australian nationals have been accused and in some cases charged with Commercial Sexual Exploitation of children (CSEC) offences in the Pacific Region. The Philippines, Thailand, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Hong Kong are also known to be some of the destination countries for sex tourists from Australia.

The use of the Internet is also increasing the distribution of child pornographic materials. The Coalition against the Trafficking of Women Fact book notes a report that identified 5,000 paedophiles abusing children via the Internet, who are operating in loose networks across Australia. Allegedly they are linked to known international paedophile groups including the Spartacus Club, the Marlin Coasters and the Orchid Club.

ECPAT CSEC Database, http://www.ecpat.net/eng/
Ecpat_inter/projects/
monitoring/online_database
/index.asp

An Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report has concluded that the number of notifications of child abuse, neglect or harm has increased from 198,355 in 2002/03 to 219,384 in 2003/04.

Child Wise Newsletter (Issue 75), March 2005, citing www.new.com.au

No Confirmed Data

There were around 250 under-18s serving in the armed forces in August 2004, of whom over 40 were under 17 1/2.

CSUCS, Global Report on Child Soldiers, 2004

CHILD LABOUR IN UNORGANISED SECTOR

In Australia, the Textile Clothing and Footwear Union have found children working on industrial sewing machines after school, until late at night and during school holidays.

In rural and remote Australia, 8% of children who have died from an injury on a farm were working at the time

Australian Council of Trade Union (ACTU)