According to the most recent data from the population and housing census, Panama is home to 1,232,585 children and adolescents, who entail rights and protection needs that the State must guarantee, in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Although primary education is almost universally provided and access to drinking water and sanitation has improved, now benefiting 70% and 80% of children, respectively, significant challenges remain.
An alarming 40% of 5-year-old children do not attend school, despite the fact that education is mandatory at that age, revealing an alarming gap in educational access. Likewise, it is reported that 6,011 adolescents between 15 and 17 years old are or were involved in early unions, and 24,636 minors lack a birth certificate, which can limit their access to other fundamental rights.
During the launch of the results of the XII Population Census and VIII Housing Census in 2023, Samuel Moreno, director of the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC), stressed the importance of these data as an essential resource for the design of policies that promote social development, especially in childhood. At the event, the priorities and investments necessary to improve the situation of children’s rights were also discussed, with the presence of Representative Paulette Thomas and the Minister of Social Development, Beatriz Carles.
Carles emphasized the urgency of advancing the full exercise of children’s rights: “There is no excuse for children to be left behind,” he stated.
For her part, Sandie Blanchet, representative of UNICEF, highlighted that, although Panama has a robust legal framework, such as Law 285 of 2022 that establishes the System of Guarantees and Comprehensive Protection for Children and Adolescents, it is crucial that these laws be implemented. translate into concrete actions that benefit the most vulnerable groups. The effective implementation of these legal frameworks will be decisive in addressing the persistent challenges in the country.
