| Country | Ecuador |
|---|---|
| Optional protocol | on the involvement of children in armed conflict, on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography, on a Communication Procedure |
| Violence | The Committee is concerned about violence against children during public demonstrations, and disciplinary measures and sanctions imposed on children taking part in protests. |
| Safety | |
| Corporal punishment | Corporal Punishment is legal in the home, alternative care settings, day care and as a sentence for crime. |
| Overview of the child rights situation | In Ecuador, children with disabilities are marginalized and discriminated against in access to health, education, support and protection services. Many children are malnourished, in part due to multidimensional poverty in early childhood. In addition, many households do not have access to clean water or sanitation. Also of concern are children’s access to appropriate information, education and health services, which are much less prevalent in remote or rural areas. |
| Situation of intersexual and transsexual children | The Committee recommends to adopt a strategy, specific legal provisions and clear guidelines for public authorities aimed at upholding non-discrimination against children on any grounds and combating stigma against children of single-parent families, children born to persons deprived of their liberty, children in families composed of same-sex couples and lesbian, bisexual, gay, transgender and intersex children. |
| Female genital mutilation and reproductive rights | Gender-based violence is prevalent, especially sexual violence, harassment and abuse against girls. There are persisting barriers for children in accessing sexual and reproductive health care. Abortions are criminalized. |
| Discrimination | |
| Racism, children belonging to a minority and indigenous children | The Committee is concerned about the negative impacts of the extractive mega-projects and activities in indigenous areas, including violence against indigenous children in the context of law enforcement activities. Furthermore, the Committee is concerned about the low quality of intercultural bilingual education and the insufficient system of data collection concerning the situation of Afro- Ecuadorian and Montubio children.<br /> To improve the situation, the Committee recommends that the State party carry out processes to seek the free, prior and informed consent of indigenous peoples and indigenous children in relation to all measures that impact their lives, in particular the exploitation of natural resources in their areas. Ecuador should also ensure appropriate budget allocations and speed up the implementation of quality bilingual intercultural education across all provinces, including through appropriate materials, bilingual teachers and educative tools. |
| Situation of children with disabilities | Not all children with disabilities have access to mainstream inclusive schools. To improve the situation for disabled children, the Committee recommends to set up a comprehensive strategy to ensure that all children with disabilities access the mainstream inclusive education system. Furthermore, the Committee recommends that the State party develop guidelines aimed at providing reasonable accommodation and appropriate support for children with disabilities in education and in the development of inclusive education environments, teaching tools and teaching methodologies. |
| Situation of asylum-seeking, refugee and migrant children | The Committee recommends to adopt legislation and measures to provide specific protection and assistance for migrant, asylum-seeking and refugee children, including unaccompanied and separated children, throughout the refugee determination process and ensure prompt enrolment in the civil registry and identification of refugee children. |
| Education | |
| Free kindergarten | Not clear |
| Free primary and secondary school | No |
| Digital possibilities | The Committee recommends to adopt measures to protect children from harmful information and products and online risks, and against negative portrayal and discrimination against children. Also, it recommends to conduct awareness-raising programmes on the rights of the child, particularly among journalists, teachers and professionals engaged in mass media and the Internet. Ecuador should as well expand access to the Internet and information to children living in rural areas. |
| Health | |
| physical health | The Committee recommends to strengthen Ecuador’s efforts, in particular through the allocation of financial resources and equipment, to improve the coverage and quality of health-care services and assistance for children, particularly in rural areas. Also, the Committee is deeply concerned about barriers to access HIV testing, owing to attitudinal prejudices on the part of health-care professionals. |
| Relation to other countries | |
| mental health | The Committee recommends to set up a nationwide strategy to combat suicide among adolescents. |
| Impacts of climate change | The newly adopted intergenerational approach may affect the implementation of the children’s rights convention, particularly on local level. Institutions that used to be responsible for the implementation of the rights of the child have been transformed to intergenerational councils. |
| Business sector | The Committee recommends to Ecuador to establish a clear regulatory framework, especially for companies in the oil and mineral sectors, to ensure that their activities do not negatively affect human rights or endanger environmental or other standards, especially those relating to children’s rights. Further, the State party should ensure that affected communities, including rural communities, indigenous peoples and nationalities and Afro-Ecuadorian communities have access to information about planned mining operations and any associated risks, particularly for children. |
| Situation of juvenile justice | The Committee is concerned about the absence of legal provisions authorizing a reduction of the term of deprivation of liberty and about insufficient information about measures to protect the life and integrity of children in rehabilitation centres. |
| Specific observations | The age limit for watching and participating in bullfighting is 16 years, while the Committee recommends setting the age limit to 18 years. Not all schools, households and health facilities have access to safe water and sanitation. |
| Additional Background | Concluding observations on the fifth and sixth periodic reports released on 26 October 2017. |
| Last Updated (date) | 1st of March, 2022 |