What is VAWG?

About VAWG and the different types of violence and abuse.

Sexual exploitation

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Sexual exploitation is when one person or a group of people abuse or attempt to abuse a position of vulnerability, power, or trust, for sexual purposes. This includes, but is not limited to, profiting financially, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another.

It is child sexual exploitation when the victim and survivor is under the age of 18, and can include prostitution, trafficking and modern slavery. Modern slavery is the illegal exploitation of people for personal or commercial gain.

Sexual exploitation covers a wide range of abuse and exploitation, and is a form of VAWG when the exploitation is of a sexual nature.

Trafficking is also a form of VAWG when it involves the recruitment, transportation and exploitation of adults (without their knowledge or consent) and children, for the purposes of sexual exploitation across international borders and within countries (‘internal trafficking’).