By
DAUDA KAZEEM OMOTOLA
NIGERIAN PRISONS SERVICE
AGODI PRISON
IBADAN, OYO STATE
UGWUOKE KELVIN ABUCHI
PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES UNIT
MAXIMUM SECURITY PRISON
JOS, PLATEAU STATE
AND
AZIBASUAM ADIONI-AROGO
DEPARTMENT OF MEDICAL SOCIAL WORKS
BAYELSA STATE COLLEGE OF HEALTH TECHNOLOGY
OTUOGIDI-OGBIA, BAYELSA STATE
ABSTRACT
Commercial sex work or prostitution has been an
age-long social vice and all government policies including legislations aimed
at its eradication have proved abortive. The more punitive the measure, aimed
at preventing prostitution, the more the situation increases. Commercial sex
work has transcended the brothels and the streets into every facet of the
society. This situation implies that forceful means of preventing prostitution
does not solve the problem; rather any measure towards curbing the phenomenon
of commercial sex work in Nigeria should be directed to meet the social and economic
needs of the practitioners. This paper focuses on reviewing literatures on the
concept, causes and forms of prostitution. The paper adopted the functionalist
theory as an underpinning to explain the phenomenon of commercial sex work.
Recommendations were proffered on ways of preventing commercial sex work in
Nigeria.
KEY WORDS: commercial, sex, workers, prostitutes,
prostitution
INTRODUCTION
Commercial sex
work is an age long profession. It is basically the practice of providing sex
for money or other material and non-material benefits. It is not restricted to
any culture as it is a global trend that transcends all age barriers and in
some cases girls as young as eight years are involved. Commercial sex has
evolved over the last two decades, (National Behaviour Survey 2004). According
to the National Behaviour Survey (2004), commercial sex work is not restricted
to females alone, it has indeed become complex in different ways as there are
male sex workers in Nigeria who have sex with men for commercial reasons.
Commercial sex
work is both historical and cultural, with every culture adopting her own
standards and attitudes. From ancient history, concubines and courtiers lived
in the same house with the wife and often had the same rights (Jenness, 1990).
Bullough and Bullough (1978) were of the opinion that along the Tigris and
Euphrates rivers, there were many shrines and temples or “houses of heaven”
dedicated to various deities, documented by the Greek historian Herodotus. In
these temples, sacred prostitution was a common practice where kings
established their legitimacy by taking part in the ceremony for one night on
the tenth day of the New Year. This practice came to an end when Emperor
Constantine in the fourth century destroyed the goddess temples and replaced
them with Christianity.
Commercial sex has particularly taken a worrisome
and indeed despicable turn through trafficking in person and violation of human
rights, and these have become a major issue in Nigeria (Human Right Action,
1997). In recent time, commercial sex has become a lucrative business in
Nigeria especially among the youths (Ikpe, 2008). Research has it that, 31% of
sex workers are , particularly in Nigeria's higher institutions (Onah, 2000).
Furthermore, sex work has now become an occupation especially for the girls who
find their ways to countries like Italy, Netherlands, Brazil, Norway etc, where
commercial sex work is highly profitable (Onah, 2000). Sex work also serves as
one of the sources of revenue for government hence taxes are paid to the
government (Aday, 1990). Aday (1990) further states that sex workers face
systematic discrimination throughout the world and are therefore at risk of
variety of abuses such as police extortion, rape, arbitrary detention and
others. There are violations of their human and labour rights which in some
cases amount to slavery.
In Nigeria, sex work is an illegal business
because, the law prohibits it, but no active action has really been taken
against it by the government (Onah, 2000). Commercial sex workers can be found
in hotels, bars, brothels and on the street, (Onah, 2000). Despite the efforts
made by the government and other private organizations to eradicate sex work in
some parts of Nigeria, it has rather grown to become one of the most
outstanding social problems that have really apprehended the youths (Onah, 2000).
The people involved in commercial sex experience negative effects even though
they still make out from it. Lex (1992), argued that sex work has been
identified as the core group for transmission of HIV/AIDS and STDs; thus, they
face discrimination throughout the world. Due to the diseases that befall these
people on daily basis, sex work has been considered a menace in the society
(Lex, 1992). Commercial sex work is termed as deviance and unhealthy in the
society. It is also a big embarrassment to the government and the families
whose youths are involved in such acts, such families will lack their respect
from people in the society no matter their position in the society, (Onah,
2000).
Conceptual clarification
In
this paper, commercial sex work shall be used interchangeably with
prostitution. The word prostitution is derived from the Latin word "prostituta"
meaning: "pro" (up-front) and" situere"
(offer for sale). Though, most sex workers activist group rejected the name
since late1970 and preferred to be called sex workers. Weizer (2000) sees
prostitution as the business or practice of engaging in sexual relations in
exchange for financial reward. The person who works in this field is called a
prostitute and is a kind of sex worker and it is one of the branches of sex
industry. Prostitution occurs in a variety of ways such as full time
prostitution, some engage in legitimate business in the day time and go into
prostitution at night while some indulge in it as an auxiliary service. Loy
(1984) and Paul (1991) resolved and defined prostitution as an act of offering
oneself for hire to engage in sexual action for money. Of course, this
definition justifies the activity such that it is voluntary and it is only for
a financial reward. Laura
(2007) explained that the term sex workers and sex works were coined by sex
workers themselves to redefine commercial sex, not as the social or
psychological characteristic of a class of women, but as an income-generating
activity or form of employment for women and men. As such, it can be considered
along with other forms of economic activity. An employment or labour
perspective is necessary if not sufficient, condition for making sex work a
part of the mainstream debate on human, women and workers, and worker’s right
at local, national and international level.
Moreso,
the moment it is not done willingly, then it becomes rape while if it is not
hired (on temporary basis) then the duration of the contractual agreement
becomes questionable since the sex industry is constantly targeted at obtaining
financial reward. Those involved in the sex industry have been given different
names such as hookers, call-girls, harlots, sluts, and courtesans, however;
they are mostly preferred to be addressed as commercial sex workers. This business
is facilitated by enticing their potential customers through pornography as
Vance(1984) noted that pornography is the theory while sex is the practice.
Sex
tourism has become an avenue for the promotion of commercial sex work around
the world today. Sex tourism according to Kempadoo and Doezema (1998), is a
travel planned particularly with the intension of having sex, generally to a
country where prostitution is legalized. Though, Bahago (2013) and NACA (2005)
agreed that this practice exposes these sex tourist and prostitute to sexually
transmitted infections especially HIV/AIDS. John and Ken(2005) noted that
Bangkok is fast emerging as the sex-tourism capital of the world which according
to Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (2013) supports human trafficking,
one of the largest criminal industries globally. Sex tourism is also the
organization of vacation totake advantage of the lack of restrictions imposed
on sex and prostitution by some foreign countries. This according to Akus
(2012) promotes human trafficking even though the traffickers are usually
highly organized criminal groups, the wide spread role of decentralized criminal
network has gained recognition globally while Paul (1993) noted that women
suffer by being part of an oppressed group, hence those who fall victim of this
social menace are the women and they are principally transported across
national borders to either willingly or forcefully engaged in prostitution.
This may attract some financial reward both on the short and long-run, however,
its social and psychological trauma have deeply affected the prostitutes' health
profile, crime rate and the moral values of the citizens.
The term sex work
was coined by sex worker activist (Leigh, 1987). Its use became popularized
after publication of the anthology; sex work writings by women in the sex
industry in 1987 (Leigh, 1987). The work has since spread into much wider use,
including academic publications by Labour Unions and by government and
inter-governmental agencies such as the World Health Organization (WHO). Sex
workers usually referred to as prostitutes, have occupied an anomalous position
in societies throughout history.
According to Weizer (2000), prostitutes are
generally regarded as a social category of women who do not adhere to sexual
and other behavioural norms; pitied or despised; they are excluded from
mainstream society, their lowly and marginal position analogues to that of a
low caste or minority ethnic group. Outcast status denies them of whatever
international, national or customary protection from abuse, is available to
others as citizens, women or workers. This social exclusion renders the
prostitutes vulnerable to exploitation (Weizer, 2000).The designation of
commercial sex work as a special human right issue emphasizes the distinction
between prostitution and other forms of female or low status labour, such as
clearing or food serving. By dismissing the entire sex industry as abusive, it
also obscures the particular problems and violations of international norms
within the industry which are of concern to sex workers.
A lack of international and local
protection renders sex workers vulnerable to exploitation in the work place,
and they experience harassment or violence at the hands of employers, law
enforcement officials, clients and the public (Modo, 2005). The need for
worker’s protection, including occupational health and safety provisions, is of
particular relevance in the current context of HIV/AIDS. Sex workers without
right in their place of work are uniquely vulnerable to infection with HIV and
other sexually transmitted diseases, as they routinely lack the information,
materials or authority to protect themselves and their clients.
In his study,
Ferlay (1995) points out that women gain financially in some way from
pornography and that powerful women have a vested interest in creating
pornography. She comments on the edition of feminism that only fight for issues
that are of immediate concern to what she sees as their privileged lives. The
view that prostitution is a choice for all prostitutes seems to be a prevalent
view even among those that oppose prostitution on religious moral terms.
The abortionist approach declares that, the
institution of prostitution itself constitutes a violation of human rights, as kin
to the institution of slavery. Infact, the "abortionist" was
originally used to describe campaigners against the transatlantic Sahara trade
(Onah 2000). As such, no person, even an adult is believed to be able to give
genuine consent to engaging in prostitution. Prostitution only persists through
the efforts of procurers or pimps, the third parties who induce a woman into
prostitution, openly or by means of deceit and coercion, to extort her earning
from her, (Modo, 2005). The abortionist approach requires governments to
abolish prostitution through the penalization of this third party which profits
from the transaction between prostitute and client. The prostitute cannot be
punished, as she is the victim of a process she does not control. Without the
third party, it is believed that the institution of prostitution will wither
away (Modo, 2005).
Theoretical
background
This study is premised on the functionalist theory rooted
in the work of Davis(1971), which asserts that there are two reasons why
prostitution exists. The first is the system of sexual morality that ostensibly
condemns prostitutes, but has the unintended consequence of encouraging it.
This creates advantages for prostitution in two ways: dividing sex into
“meaningful” (with one spouse)and “meaningless” (with a prostitute). This has
the effect of encouraging men to go to a prostitute if they want to have
“meaningless” sex. Second by defining certain sex acts like anal or oral sex as
immoral, not to be indulged in with one’s moral spouse, the moral order
encourages men to turn to immoral women for these sex acts. The moral systems
in effect create a demand for prostitution.
The
second reason for the existence of prostitution is also ironic; prostitution
functions to strengthen sexual morality. This acts as a contrast or counterpoint
that keeps the respectable citizenry pure. The sex industry encourages men to
go to prostitutes for premarital sex, extramarital sex or other immoral sex so
that they don’t have to pressure or persuade respectable women to engage in the
same immoral sex. By thus preserving the sexual morality of conventional women,
constituting nearly half of human kind, the level of society’s morality should be
higher than if any woman engages in the same sexual immoralities. Hence, Davis
theory suggests that prostitution exists because the moral system paradoxically
encourages it, and in turn serves the important function of preserving feminine
virtue.
Forms of
Commercial Sex Work
Commercial sex work is divided into
different categories. These are:
Call Girls.
According to Weizer (2000) call girls are
known to take good care of their health and visit doctors whenever necessary.
Almost all of them want their client to use condoms, though they often comply
when clients offer a much higher amount of money for condom-free sex, (Weizer,
2000).
Street
Prostitution
Those involved in
this group are young girls, some of them in their teens. They do their
soliciting in limiting but well known areas of the city. These areas include
popular places like well known hotels in the major cities and around girl’s
hostels in the universities. These sex workers usually dress in skimpy and
provocative clothing, regardless of the weather, (Akpan, 2000). Street
prostitutes are often called “street walkers” while their customers are
referred to as “tricks” or “Johns”. The sex is performed in the customer’s car,
in a nearby alley or in a rented room, (Akpan, 2000).
Child
Prostitution;
In the world
today, the problem of child prostitution is a frightening reality. Child
prostitutes whether occupational or full-time also becomes involved in crime
and abuse (Mill, 1997). However, because of the high incidence of sexually
transmitted disease such as syphilis, customers are willing to pay for higher
prices for children who are considered more likely to be virgins and thus, less
likely to be infected, (Tolu, 1997). Ewah (2010) observed that child
prostitution involves children between the ages of eight and twelve years. He
further stated that at this age, girls often receive their introduction to this
activity through their parents and other family members. Child prostitutes
generally continued their involvement because they earned a lot of money. Also
many seemed to fear rejection by their families if they stop (Margret, 2000).
Sex Tourism
This type is simply described as travelling
for sexual intercourse with prostitutes or to engage in their sexual activity,
(Mencken, 2009). A specialized agency of the United Nations defines sex tourism
as “trip organized from within the tourism sector or from outside, this sector
but using its structures and networks with the primary purpose of effecting a
commercial sexual relationship by the tourist with residents at the destination
(The World Tourism Organization, 2007).
Etiological factors of Commercial Sex Work
There are reasons
why people go into sex work, such as;
Poverty: Because of the disintegration of the family, misery etc., hunger as
a form of poverty has forced some parents to sell their children for
prostitution. Some girls who engage in sex work do so because they see
prostitution as the only means of survival in order to get daily meals. Poverty
also lead some girls to sell their bodies for money and as a result become
professional sex workers (Onah, 2000).
Personal Life
Style: These set of sex workers call it adventure
(Ewah, 2010). Many sex workers engage themselves in this business just for the
fun of human sexuality and not for economic benefit or frustration (Ewah,
2010).
Unemployment: Unemployment has been identified as one of the reasons why most
youths engage in sex work (Onah, 2000). Due to lack of job opportunities for
the multitude of graduates, most of them resort to sex work as a means of
livelihood and survival. Unemployment has also pushed many young people into
sex work and in most cases, against their will (Onah, 2000).
Illiteracy: With the high rate of illiteracy in Nigeria, many parents can
neither read nor write. The youths are not left out in this illiteracy problem.
This has resulted in their being deceived into believing that in big cities,
milk and honey flow, only to be forced into sex work when they get to the city
(Ewah, 2010).
Peer Group
Pressures : Maria (2007) is of the view that, many
young women and girls fall prey to pressure from their peers who they perceive
as having succeeded in the prostitution profession. The young girls and women
want to make it big, be rich and be recognized by the society.
Conclusion and Recommendations
From the foregoing, it is clear that commercial sex work is a
complex social problem that is further complicated by a host of preconceived
ideas, prejudices and attitudes that are deeply ingrained in the public mind.
This study was undertaken in order to throw more light on the nature of
commercial sex work in Nigeria. The study focused on reviewing existing studies
on commercial sex work and the underlying factors or conditions that are
usually associated with the phenomenon. In the efforts to explain the causes of
prostitution in Nigeria, the study invariably came across some etiological
factors or conditions that lead women into prostitution. Needless to say that
none of the factors highlighted in this study have fully accounted for the
existence of prostitution in Nigeria.
From the postulation of the functionalist theorist, prostitution
has both positive and negative functions. Prostitution performs positive
functions because of the varied and extensive sexual needs of men and the
necessity to protect marriage and family institutions in the society. However,
the negative effects of prostitution have far reaching implications than the
positive ones. Prostitution is not only a necessary vice but constitutes moral,
social and medical threats to the well being of the society. But while attempts
have been made towards eliminating prostitution, the problem remained
unresolved. All attempts by the different organs of government to legislate
prostitution out of existence were largely futile. Thus the issue of
prostitution is not lack of severe legislations or sanctions, or lack of
regulation in which licenses are issued to prostitutes who want to register
with brothels or hotels. Outlawing or closing of prostitutes houses cannot
solve the problem. Neither would the expulsion order, demolishing or relocating
the prostitutes can change the situation, for whatever policy government adopts
the problem will continue to exist. Considering the fact that all efforts and
methods to abolish prostitution have failed, this study recommends the possible
remedies that can only reduce the problem.
Since it has been found that commercial sex workers reflect
pathological backgrounds, government should provide a means of rehabilitating
and reforming them. To this end all appropriate means shall be used including
religious care, vocational education, guidance and counseling, training,
employment and strengthening of moral character. Along with institutional
housing, the government with the assistance of welfare agencies should provide
facilities for recreation, sports and cultural activities particularly to those
commercial sex workers who are advanced in age and young girls who are found to
be emotionally disturbed or socially maladjusted. Similarly, since it has been
found that family breakdown and divorce leads to prostitution of young girls;
couples or parents should be educated to ensure stable marriages and homes.
Formal education of illiterate and unskilled commercial sex
workers should be encouraged. Government should encourage the introduction of
sex education in the curriculum of secondary schools and tertiary institutions.
There should be public enlightenment programmes on HIV/AIDS and other venereal
diseases and the dangers inherent in having indiscriminate sex and engaging the
services of commercial sex workers. Through sexual education and public
enlightenment we can develop a healthy society and improve the quality of
relationships between men and women. Lastly, there is need for the government
to create jobs for the citizens so that prostitution in the country can be
reduced. If such women are provided with job opportunities, prostitution would
be curtailed since some of these girls indulge in deviant acts as a result of
frustration.
REFERENCES
Aday, P. (1990). Public Administration in Nigeria. London:
Longman Press.
Akpan, L. A. (2000). Sex and Life. Uyo: Humble Press
Akus,
Y. (2012). Contemporary Public Issues and Nigeria as a Nationa, Ankpa: Roma
Printing.
Bahago,
F.J.S. (2013): Manpower Training and Development and HIV/AIDS: The Challenges.
Journalof Public Administration, 3(1): 34-45
Bullough, V., and
Bullough, B. (1978). Prostitution. An illustrated
socialhistory. New York:
Crown
Publishers.
Centre
for Disease Control and Prevention, April 21, 2013.CIA: World Factbook.
Davis, K (1971). The Sociology of
Prostitution,in: American Sociological Review Vol. 2.
Ewah, D. (2010). Prostitution in Nigeria: Religion and the
Nigerian Nation. Ibadan: Enjoy Press
and Books.
Ferley, M. (1995). Stolen Lives Trading Women into Sex Slavery.
London: Scarlet Press.
Human Rights Action (1997).In the Context of Traffic in Women.
Thailand: Bangkok Press.
Ikpe, J. (2008). Physical Background in South South Nigeria.
Kaduna: Abaam Publishing
Company.
Jenness, V.
(1990). “From sex as sin to sex as work: Coyote and the recorgnization of
prostitution as a social
problem”, Social Problem,37(3), 403-420. New York: Crown Publishers.
John,
J.M. and Ken, P. (2005): Sociology: A Global Introduction, Spain: Mateu
Cromo Artes
GraficasPublication.
Kempadoo,
K. and Doezema, J. (1998): Global Sex Workers, London: Routledge.
Laura, M. A. (2007). Sex at the Margin. London: Zed Books.
Leigh, C. (1980). Prostitution as a form of Deviance. New
York: McGrew-Hill Company.
Lex, R. (1992). Prostitution in William Max (ed). World Book
Encyclopedia, Vol. 15 (21) pp 45-48.
Chicago: World Book Inc.
Loy, B. (1984). Network of Sex
Work Project. Thailand: Denis Press.
Margret, U. (2000). Children and Women’s Right in Nigeria.
A Wake-up Call. Abuja: by the
National Planning Commission.
Maria, G. (2007). Prostitution as a Global Problem.Uyo:
Network Ltd.
Mencken, H.L. (2009). Sociology of Sex Work. New York:
Progo Press.
Mill, J. (1997). Ethic of Sex. London: Scarlet Press.
Modo, W. (2005). Positive Effect of Sex Work and Benefit of Sex
Work. London: Lassy Press.
National
Action Committee on AIDS (2005): HIV/AIDS National Strategic Framework for
Action 2005– 2009. Nigeria NACA 2005,
ADEA,Washington: The World Bank.
National, B. S. (2004). Brothel Base Sex Work in Nigeria.
Lagos: The Society for Family Health.
Onah, S. (2000). Ibibo Pioneers in Nigerian History.Ibandan:
Scholar Press.
Paul, H. (1991). Sale of Womanhood
or Sex: Sexuality in Africa. Ibadan: Visual Press.
Paul,H.(1993):TheThirdRevolution,London:Penguinbooks.
The World Tourism Organization. (2007). Sex Tourism.
London: Tourist Association.
Tolu, B. (1997). Network of Sex Work Project. Thailand:
Denis Press.
Vance,
C.S. (1994): Pleasure and Danger, London: Routledge.
Weizer, R. (2000). Sex for Sale, Prot, Porno and the Sex
Industry. New York: Routhedge Press.
