A report by the Ombudsman's Office of Panama, with the support of UNICEF, reveals that one in ten children of African descent lives in poverty. Over 6,000 children are working, and another 6,000 are in early unions, mostly girls. The report shows that more than 12,000 children aged 6 to 17 are out of the school system. Rates of violent discipline in their homes are higher than in the general population (51% vs. 45%), particularly corporal punishment (34% vs. 29%). It is also emphasized that adolescents report discrimination and bullying in schools due to their ethnicity.
Eduardo Leblanc González, the Ombudsman for Human Rights, stated: "Their testimonies remind us that these are not isolated situations, but structural realities that we must transform with urgency." The report highlights that the most vulnerable rights for this population are family protection, living free from violence and discrimination, education, and participation in cultural life. According to the 2023 Census, there are 312,412 children of African descent in Panama, representing 26% of the country's population under 18. This first report lays the groundwork for institutions to implement actions to improve access to rights for children and adolescents of African descent with an intersectional and territorial focus. The Ombudsman's Office notes the lack of data disaggregated by ethnicity, which is necessary to identify persistent gaps.
