Gang violence in Ecuador: Consequences for students 

Written by Iasmina-Măriuca Stoian 

Introduction 

The organized violence perpetrated by criminal gangs in Ecuador has almost taken over the lives of its citizens. Add menace and fear to fear, and several students have had to change the way they live and go to school forever. The unceasing violence follows students to school, as some students may be disrupted and killed in the process. It also hinders students’ education, and if businesses and schools are terminated, some may experience intimidation, losing any hope of ever going to school. Furthermore, it leads to economic and social insecurity due to the increase in poverty levels and unemployment where an affected student has reduced opportunity to pursue a decent future because of financial inability. The presence of gangs in the ensconced prisons and their occupancy of the streets has enabled forced recruitment and fear. Students’ capacity to learn and succeed is hampered by the hostile and unsafe environment that the persistent violence and instability produced. 

A persistent threat and an increasing concern 

In Ecuador, gang violence has been a major problem, especially in major cities like Quito and Guayaquil. The majority of killings in the nation have been committed by street gangs, including the Latin Kings, also referred to as the STAE. Concerns over the safety of the populace, particularly students, have been raised by this. To combat the rising threat posed by adolescent gangs, the government has put in place a number of measures, such as harsher penalties for individuals found in possession of weapons and without authorization. 

The fear and insecurity caused by the criminal gangs have made it necessary for students to change their patterns and live with fear daily. The education sector has been highly affected whereby shops and schools are closed to prevent being attacked, targeted, or extorted. The economic and social implications of the violence have left many in poverty and jobless, causing the majority to opt-out of essential amenities that would ensure the need for students to be in the precinct of their facilities. The recruiting of members and intimidation by gangs within prison and outside on the street has made the environment too hot for students since their safety is highly tampered with. Gangs have made the plight of students to be in an unsafe place by recruiting them and actively corrupting their morals. 

Gang violence in Ecuador has been a significant issue, especially in cities such as Guayaquil and Quito. The Latin Kings, also known as STAE, as well as other street gangs have been responsible for a large percentage of homicides in the country. This has raised concerns about the safety of the citizens, including students.  

Government’s response  

As a response to this issue, the government has implemented various policies to address the growing youth gang threat, including stricter punishment for those caught armed and without a permit. However, despite the risks of these policies, the government reports that its approach to security has been successful, with a significant reduction in homicide rates. This reduction in lethal violence has made Ecuador one of the safest countries in Latin America. The government’s approach to crime control has emphasized efforts to reach higher levels of social control based on policies of social inclusion and innovations in criminal justice and police reform. 

One notably innovative aspect of this approach was the decision to legalize several street gangs in 2007. The government claims the success of these policies can be seen in the drastic reduction in violence and criminality, including a decrease in inter-gang violence and homicide levels. The legalization process helped to improve the quality of life and security in communities, leading to a transformation in the way gangs operated and interacted with their surroundings. 

Consequences and impacts on students 

The key consequences of those violent acts were for students. The street gangs’ activity has generated the atmosphere of terror and fear, which influenced students’ capability to concentrate on the studies. Moreover, around 4.3 million children have been unable to receive an education due to the temporary transition to online classes and threats made by criminals. The latter factor also made it easier for school workers to conduct identification and try to tackle sexual violence cases, causing the reduction of the reports and the absence of help for victims. The organized crime spread only produced the negative effect, prompting the impossibility of elimination and secure reporting. Thus, the government should take urgent action to protect the rights of these children and ensure that they can learn in a safe and secure environment. 

Social inclusion as a key 

In response to this issue, the government has recognized the importance of engaging with marginalized subpopulations, including those involved in street gangs, to ensure the success of its Citizens’ Revolution. The approach to social inclusion and community empowerment has been crucial in addressing the root causes of gang violence and providing opportunities for behavioural change. 

Moving forward, the government needs to continue and highlight the social inclusion approach to street gangs as a model of best practices. This includes further formalizing the legalization process within institutions and developing strategies for effective intervention. By addressing the underlying social and economic factors that contribute to gang violence, the government can create a safer environment for students and all citizens in Ecuador. 

Conclusion 

In light of the significant consequences of gang violence on students in Ecuador, it is imperative for the government to prioritize social inclusion and reform efforts. By addressing root causes and promoting opportunities for behavioural change, Ecuador can create a safer and more conducive environment for students to learn and thrive. 

References

Climate change and its impacts on girl’s education

Presented by Ariel Ozdemir, Faith Galgalo, Ioana-Sorina Alexa, Olimpia Guidi, Sterre Merel Krijnen

The barriers to girls’ equal access to education in Ecuador are multifaceted and deeply intertwined with socio-economic disparities and the differential impacts of climate change. Women are at the forefront of paid and unpaid work, representing 34% of unpaid domestic work. In June 2019, 17% of women were engaged in unpaid labour, a decrease from 18% in the previous month.1 Statistics on Ecuador’s female unpaid labour employment rate are updated quarterly, averaging 16% from Dec 2013 to June 2019, reaching an all-time high of 18% in March 2019 and a record low of 11% in June 2014.2

Women often hold the responsibility of caring for the home and family. This burden is exacerbated by household resource scarcity (such as water and services). Women, particularly in rural and indigenous communities, work significantly more extended hours than men, usually around 86 and 62 hours a week for women and men, respectively.3 In turn, this increased workload can restrict girls’ time and opportunities for education, as they may be required to assist with household tasks instead of attending school.

Another barrier that women and girls face is poverty, as 66% of women in Ecuador live in conditions of poverty, as opposed to 11% of men.4 These increased levels of poverty often result in women and girls taking on an increased domestic workload but also attempting to take on additional work outside the home to sustain themselves and their families financially.

Gender-based violence poses an additional obstacle to girls’ education by creating unsafe environments both inside and outside the home, particularly in regions with high rates of violence. In 2022, 332 femicides were documented in Ecuador, the highest number of the study period, a significant increase from the 197 cases in the previous year.5

Disparities in political representation and decision-making exacerbate the challenges faced by both women and girls, limiting their ability to advocate for their rights to education and protection.

This report was submitted to the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights issued by OHCHR.

Input_to_HRC_report_on_equal_enjoyment_of_the_right_to_education_by_every_girl_pursuant_to_HRC_resolution_54_19

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1 CEIC. (2019). Ecuador Employment Rate: Unpaid Labour: Female. Available at: https://www.ceicdata.com/en/ecuador/enemdu-employment-rate/employment-rate-unpaid-labor-female

2 CEIC. (2019). Ecuador Employment Rate: Unpaid Labour: Female. Available at: https://www.ceicdata.com/en/ecuador/enemdu-employment-rate/employment-rate-unpaid-labor-female

3 De ser sensibles al compromiso por la igualdad y el clima, CDKN Latin America, 2019. Available at: https://cdkn.org/es/noticia/generoecuador

4 ​​De ser sensibles al compromiso por la igualdad y el clima, CDKN Latin America, 2019. Available at: https://cdkn.org/es/noticia/generoecuador

5 Statista. (2023). Number of Feminicides Victims in Ecuador from 2013 to 2023. Available at:

Universal Periodic Review of Ecuador – Disabilities

During the previous cycle, Ecuador received eight recommendations on the topic of disability rights. Israel connected disability rights with the right to education in its recommendation 118.8 “Develop a comprehensive deinstitutionalization plan for people with disabilities that aims to support their life in their communities and ensure inclusive education for people with disabilities”. All eight specific actions by states, including the one by Israel, were supported by Ecuador. In this sense, the acceptancy rate was 100%. Ecuador has made notable progress regarding the protection and respect of persons with disabilities. While it has created Inclusion Support Units and passed Regulations for standardizing differentiated management and care processes in specialized educational institutions, persons with disabilities still suffer from segregation and division within the society.

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Universal Periodic Review of Ecuador

Ecuador received 15 recommendations regarding the right to education in the 3rd cycle. The responses were positive, Ecuador supported all State recommendations. Specific sub-topics included education coverage for girls living in rural areas – in particular indigenous and Afro-Ecuadorian girls (recommendation by Chile), improving the quality of education for those living below the poverty line (recommendation by Haiti), ensuring the full participation of all citizens, in particular vulnerable groups, in the education system (recommendation by Angola). Ecuador has indeed maintained its efforts in implementing such recommendations but there are still challenges that need tackling

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Educational Challenges in Ecuador

Ecuador’s educational system has undergone a series of significant reforms and investments that have improved the access to and quality of education. However, there are prevailing obstacles for Ecuador to overcome. This article will touch upon some of Ecuador’s educational challenges today.

Quality of education

Despite the significant improvements regarding access to primary and secondary education in Ecuador, education results show substantial gaps in the context of geography, location, socio-economic status, and ethnicity.[1] For instance, among black and indigenous populations, completed years of education are 3 and 4 years lower than the national average – 7.3 years.[2] The drop-out rates for higher education remains high, despite the significant improvements in its gross enrollment rates.[3] This could be attributed to some students’ low levels of academic preparation or to the lengthy higher education (HR) programs, which run for over five years, and can thus tire students, resulting in higher drop-out rates.[4] In addition, schools are often over-crowded and teachers overwhelmed with the number of students per classroom.[5]

Illiteracy rates are showing improvement, but the numbers are still high among the Indigenous population as well as people of African descent in comparison to the illiteracy rates of the mestizo population.[6] The OECD Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies undertook the Survey of Adult Skills, which showed that less than 1 in 10 adults are proficient at Literacy Level 3 or higher in Ecuador.[7] The survey also highlighted that Ecuador is among the countries/economies with one of the largest proportions of adults (71.2%) who scored at Literacy Level 1 or lower, meaning that these adults have no more than the basic reading skills.[8] The expansion of educational provision currently unequal since, in rural areas, indigenous populations and the black community are often left behind.[9]

Teacher absenteeism and frequent teacher strikes affect the retention rates and the quality of education.[10]  Teacher strikes mainly affect primary and secondary schools. In 2003, an article stated that, in poorer areas, an average of nine school days per month are wasted due to strikes and teacher absenteeism.[11] At the end of 2003, public schools were closed for two months due to a teacher strike over a salary increase.[12] Although there are no current evaluations to verify the impact of these strikes, this is a major issue that Ecuador must tackle.[13]

Schools of the Millennium (SOM) is one of the most critical governmental projects to improve public education. Each classroom has a digital whiteboard, kitchens, recreational areas, eating areas, science labs, virtual libraries, and computer labs with broadband internet.[14] While this is an excellent achievement by the government in bettering public education, teachers feel that these resources are not utilized effectively due to the lack of teacher training and, in some cases, lack of teachers.[15]

 

Poverty and discrimination in education

Poverty is hugely detrimental to students’ learning access and opportunities. It affects factors such as the student’s health and well-being, literacy and language development, access to physical and material resources, and level of mobility.[16] There are currently regions in Ecuador, particularly in rural areas, where 50% of children and adolescents live in poor households without access to drinking water, sanitation, or healthcare facilities.[17] 35% of Ecuadorians residing in rural areas live in overcrowded housing.[18]

 

 

School dropout rates are still a problem, with the two most vulnerable groups being pregnant teenagers and indigenous populations, which have the lowest completion rates in their secondary studies.[19] In regard to bullying and violence at school, almost a third of children and teenagers suffer violent treatment or disciplinary punishments. This rises alarmingly among mixed-race and indigenous children, of whom 42% suffer this form of violence.[20] Afro-Ecuadorian children are often subject to discrimination in access to education, and, in some cases, parents are illegally required to pay a sum of money to enrol their child at a ‘free-of-charge’ public school.[21] Children from lower-income families, predominately Afro-Ecuadorian and Indigenous, drop out of school to provide financial support to their families.[22]

Public schools in urban zones often present conditions that hinder learning, such as large class sizes and teaching staff shortages.[23] There is only one teacher for each level – composed of 50 to 60 students. Occasionally there are not enough classrooms for each grade level, so children from different grades are taught in the same classroom.[24]

 

Sexual violence in education

Between 2015 and 2017, there were 4.584 reports of sexual abuse in Ecuadorian schools, with teachers registered as the main aggressors.[25] Three out of ten adolescents in Latin America have suffered from sexual harassment in schools, and 1.1 million girls within the region have suffered some form of sexual violence.[26]

Although Ecuador has taken important steps to handle the issue and expedite justice since 2017, the policies and protocols are not adequately enforced in many schools.[27] Huma Rights Watch found that teachers, school staff, janitors, and school bus drivers are amongst those committing acts of sexual violence against children of all ages, including children with disabilities, in both public and private schools.[28]

Ecuador declared a zero-tolerance policy, requiring teachers, school counsellors, and other staff to report allegations of sexual violence within 24 hours. Human Rights Watch found severe gaps in the carrying out of this policy and ensuring adherence to its binding protocol.[29]

 

 

Written by Alejandra Latinez

Edited by Olga Ruiz Pilato

 

Sources;

[1] Angel-Urdinola & Vera Jibaj. (2018). Achievements and challenges of Ecuador’s education sector in the 21st Century.

[2] Un.org. (2004) – Education.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Children International. Education in Children International communities – Ecuador.

[6] Castellano, J. M., Stefos, E., & Goodrich, L. G. W. (2017). The educational and social profile of the indigenous People of Ecuador: A Multidimensional Analysis.

[7]Skills Matter: Additional Results From The Survey Of Adult Skills

 Ecuador – OECD (2018, April).

[8] Ibid.

[9] Torres, Rosa María (2005). Real options for policy and practice in Ecuador

[10] Ibid.

[11] Ibid.

[12] Ibid.

[13] Ibid.

[14] Fajardo-Dack M Tammy. (2016). Teacher Disempowerment in the Education System of Ecuador.

[15] Ibid.

[16] Budge, Kathleen & Parrett William. (2016). How Does Poverty Influence Learning?

[17] Humanium. Children of Ecuador – Realizing children’s rights in Ecuador

[18] Ibid.

[19] Ibid.

[20] Ibid.

[21] Universal Periodic Review 13th session. (2012). Situation on the Rights of the Child in Ecuador

[22] Ibid.

[23] Ibid.

[24] Ibid.

[25] Coral, Martinez Catalina & Martinez, Cecilia Carmen. (2021). Sexual Violence against girls in schools as a public health issue

[26] Ibid.

[27] Human Rights Watch. (2020). Ecuador: High Levels of Sexual Violence in Schools

[28] Ibid.

[29] Ibid.

Submission to the Universal Periodic Review of the United Nations Human Rights Council: Ecuador

This report was drafted by Broken Chalk to contribute to the fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Ecuador. Broken Chalk is an organization that fights against violations of Human Rights and improving the quality of education around the globe. This report will discuss the main challenges Ecuador faces in regard to Education, what are some issues that could be improved through Education, and finally Broken Chalk will offer some recommendations for Ecuador in the field of Education based on the raised issues.

In the 2017 review, Ecuador received 182 recommendations and supported 162 recommendations relating to legal and general framework of implementation, universal and cross-cutting issues, civil and political rights, economic, social, and cultural rights, women’s rights, and rights of other vulnerable groups and persons.

Ecuador has stated that efforts to guarantee the widest coverage and highest possible quality of education at all levels has been intensified. In fact, between the years 2007 and 2017, net enrolment in basic education increased from 91.4% to 96.1%, and net enrolment rate in upper-secondary school increased from 51.2% to 70.8%. Regarding the gender gap, education for women has risen much faster than for males, therefore the gender gap in schooling has almost been closed. Despite this, there are still improvements to be made, especially in quality of education and accessibility.

By Alejandra Latinez

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