REPORTS prepared by civil society organisation on commercial sexual exploitation of children, child sexual abuse and child labour survey have created a lot of discussion.
Save the Children Fiji (SC) Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) project officer Amita Jhoti Prasad said findings of the two recent research projects conducted on CSEC/CSA and Child Labour confirmed that sexually related cases were happening.
"As an advocate of Child Rights, SC has taken a bold step with commencement of the new project Combating Trafficking and other forms of Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in Fiji," she said.
Ms Prasad said children had the right to be treated in a respectable manner and brought up in the spirit of understanding, security and love.
"Whether it is the involvement of middlemen/women, family members, friends, neighbours or any other third party involvement (local/overseas) in either arranging or transporting children for sexual purposes, the simple message is that children can't be bought and sold," she said.
"They expect respect and are in our society not for the sake of using their bodies to make money, getting pleasure, pleasing them with cash or kind and taking advantage of their young age.
"Therefore everyone should respect the rights that are accorded to children under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and any other relevant treaties/ legislations put in place for their protection, development and survival."
Ms Prasad said in some cases parents and others with responsibility treated children as shadow human beings.
"This should not be the case," she said. "The process of listening to the views of children helps build their public identity and status."