Harare, Zimbabwe (News of the South)-The country’s acute economic hardships are the major reason for the spike in the number of young people becoming commercial sex workers, a recent study reveals.
Conducted by the Zimbabwe National Council for the Welfare of Children (ZNCWC) the research study, whose results were presented by Maxim Murungweni the Programs Manager, shows that poverty leads on the pull-push factors for getting into the dangerous trade.
“Push factors included familial poverty 87 percent, which leads to lack of school fees and (dropping out), breakdown of family unit 23.5 percent; Gender Based Violence 7.2 percent and orphan hood 23.8 percent as the leading causes”.
“Others reported inherited sex work, following their mothers into the trade”.
“Pull factors included peer pressure/ introduced by friends and financial need. Poverty and having no other option as well as breakdown of family unit, are major push themes in children’s vulnerability to commercial sexual exploitation”.
“Most respondents said they would leave sex work if given an alternative viable opportunity”, the study says.
In a frightening trend the results of the study also showed that over 64 percent of the young women started selling sex before the age of consent and legal age of majority which is 18.
The highest concentration was between the ages of 16-18 at 35 percent. 5.8 percent became sex workers before the age of 12 while 18 percent started between the ages of 12 and 14.
Amongst some of the startling statistics:
– 41.4 percent had experienced some illness related to their work
– Most commonly reported cases involve STI’s at 81.5 percent
– Only 64 percent reported consistent use of condoms
– 4.2 percent never use condoms
– 99.7% engage in penetrative sex
– 7.6% engage in penetrative anal sex which is riskier for HIV infection.
– Average number of clients per day/night is 2-5.
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