Prostitution in El Salvador

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Prostitution in El Salvador is not prohibited by national law, [1] but may be prohibited by local municipal ordinances. [2] Municipal ordinances may also prohibit the purchase of sexual services. [2] Related activities such as facilitating, promoting or giving incentives to a person to work as a prostitute (pimping) are illegal. The prostitution of children (those under 18) is also illegal. [1] Brothel ownership, however, is legal. [1] There are no specific laws against human trafficking, but any criminal offence that includes ‘commerce in women or children’ requires sentencing to be increased by 30%. [3]

Contents

Those municipalities that do not prohibit sex work often set up zones for sex workers away from schools and churches. [1] In the San Esteban area of San Salvador, 17 brothels were forcibly closed in August 1998 for being too close to schools and churches. [4]

Prostitution is common in the country, [1] especially around "Parque Infantil", [5] in the capital, San Salvador. [6] After the civil war, the demands of the increased military presence in San Salvador caused the number of prostitutes to double to 19,000. [7]

UNAIDS estimated that there were 20,385 sex workers in the country in 2016. [8]

Sex worker support organisations

Organización de Trabajadoras del Sexo

The Organización de Trabajadoras del Sexo (OTS) is an organisation set up by sex workers to combat discrimination, abuse and violence against sex workers. [2] It provides support and information to sex workers in 15 municipalities. [2] The organisation advocates legal and policy reforms to reduce violence, stigma and discrimination against sex workers. [2]

Asociación Mujeres Flor de Piedra

The Asociación Mujeres Flor de Piedra works with sex workers in one neighbourhood in San Salvador. They plan to expand to other neighbourhoods in the city. They organise a wide variety of activities: health & HIV workshops, condom distribution etc. [3] One of their aims is to change the way Salvadorian society, including the country's government, views sex workers and reduce discrimination against them. [3]

The association was formed in 1991 by a group of Franciscan Fathers. [9] They receive funding from Dutch development organisation, Hivos. [3]

HIV

HIV/AIDS in El Salvador has a less than 1 percent prevalence of the adult population reported to be HIV-positive, and therefore is a low-HIV-prevalence country, but the virus remains a significant threat in high-risk communities including commercial sex workers. [10] Although prevalence is 2.8 percent among sex workers, [10] it is as high as 16 percent in specific areas, such as Puerto de Acajutla. [10]

It was estimated in 2008 that 90 percent of sex workers did not use condoms with regular partners. [10] UNAIDS estimated a 73% usage of condoms by sex workers in 2016. [10] Compounding these issues are stigma and discrimination toward HIV-infected individuals and at-risk groups, which can deter people from getting tested and receiving adequate support if they have the disease. [10]

Sex worker support organisations, such as Organización de Trabajadoras del Sexo and Asociación Mujeres Flor de Piedra, run campaigns on HIV prevention and distribute condoms. They also provide support for sex workers infected with the virus. [2] [3]

Child Prostitution

Child prostitution is a problem. An NGO study in 1998 indicated that at least 44% of the estimated 1,300 prostitutes in 3 major red light districts of San Salvador were between the ages of 13 and 18. [11] Among all prostitutes of the country, between 10 and 25 percent of visible prostitutes are minors, and an estimated 40 percent of the hidden prostitutes who cater to upper-class clients are believed to be minors, according to a UNICEF study released in 2000 [12]

Sex trafficking

El Salvador is a source, transit, and destination country for women, men, and children subjected to sex trafficking. Women, men, and children are exploited in sex trafficking within the country; LGBTI persons, especially transgender individuals, are at particular risk. Some men, women, and children from neighbouring countries, particularly Nicaragua, Guatemala and Honduras, are subjected to sex trafficking. Traffickers use employment agencies and social media to lure victims with promises of lucrative employment; one organisation noted traffickers are increasingly targeting people in the regions of the country with high levels of violence and coercing victims and their families through threats of violence. Salvadoran men, women, and children are subjected to sex trafficking in Guatemala, Mexico, Belize, and the United States.

Media and government officials report organised criminal groups, including transnational criminal organisations, are involved in trafficking crimes. Some Salvadorans who irregularly migrate to the United States are subjected to sex trafficking en route to or upon arrival in the country. Some Latin American migrants transit El Salvador to Guatemala and North America, where they are exploited in sex trafficking. Corruption, particularly within the judiciary, remained a significant obstacle to law enforcement efforts. In 2014, media reported several public officials, including legislators, political party officials, and a mayor, purchased commercial sex acts from trafficking victims. Prison guards and justice officials have been investigated for trafficking-related complicity. [13]

The United States Department of State Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons ranks El Salvador as a Tier 2 country. [13]

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Prostitution in Myanmar is illegal, but widespread. Prostitution is a major social issue that particularly affects women and children. UNAIDS estimate there to be 66,000 prostitutes in the country.

Prostitution in Greece is legal at the age of 18, and regulated. It is estimated that fewer than 1,000 women are legally employed as prostitutes and approximately 20,000 women, half of whom are of foreign origin and the other half are Greek, are engaged in illegal prostitution. Many women affected by the economic crisis have turned to prostitution through poverty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prostitution in Spain</span> Sex for money in Spain

Prostitution in Spain is not addressed by any specific law, but a number of activities related to it, such as pimping, are illegal. In 2016, UNAIDS estimated there to be 70,268 prostitutes in the country, although other estimates put the number higher. Most prostitutes in the country are immigrants. The sex industry in Spain is estimated to be worth €3.7 billion.

Prostitution in Guatemala is legal but procuring is prohibited. There is an offence of “aggravated procuring” where a minor is involved. Keeping a brothel is not prohibited.

Prostitution in Senegal is legal and regulated. Senegal has the distinction of being one of the few countries in Africa to legalize prostitution, and the only one to legally regulate it. The only condition that it is done discreetly. Prostitution was first legalised in 1966. UNAIDS estimate that there are over 20,000 prostitutes in the country. The average age for a sex worker in Senegal is 28 years old and female.

Prostitution in Ecuador is legal and regulated, as long as the prostitute is over the age of 18, registered, and works from a licensed brothel. Prostitution is widespread throughout the country. Many brothels and prostitutes operate outside the regulatory system and the regulations have been less strictly enforced in recent years. 25,000 prostitutes were registered in the year 2000. In 2007 it was estimated that 70% of the prostitutes in the country were from Colombia. The country attracts Colombian prostitutes as the currency is the US$ rather than the unstable Colombian peso. UNAIDS estimate there to be 35,000 prostitutes in the country.

Prostitution in Uruguay was legislated in 2002 through the sex work law (17.515). Before that, prostitution was unlegislated but it was not illegal, since the constitution allows any activity that is not forbidden by law. Prostitution is currently not a subject of debate.

Prostitution in Paraguay is legal for persons over the age of 18, but related activities such as brothel keeping are prohibited. Prostitution is common in the country. Brothels are also common, even some rural villages have a small bar/brothel on the outskirts.

Prostitution in Georgia is illegal but widespread, particularly in the capital, Tbilisi. Many NGO's attribute this to the harsh economic conditions according to the US State Department. Prostitution occurs on the streets, in bars, nightclubs, hotels and brothels. UNAIDS estimate there are 6,525 prostitutes in Georgia.

Prostitution in Zambia is legal and common. Related activities such as soliciting and procuring are prohibited. UNAIDS estimate there are 9,285 prostitutes in the capital, Lusaka. Many women turn to prostitution due to poverty. Sex workers report law enforcement is corrupt, inconsistent and often abusive.

Prostitution in Guyana is illegal but widespread. Prostitution law is antiquated and dates from the colonial era. Law enforcement is inconsistent and sex workers report violence and abuse by the police. Many turn to prostitution for economic reasons and the lack of other job opportunities. Prostitution continues to receive greater public attention due to the high incidence of HIV/AIDS among prostitutes. Prostitution in the country is separated into three types: "uptown", servicing affluent clients, "downtown", servicing the working classes, and mining sites. UNAIDS estimate there to be 6,000 prostitutes in the country.

Prostitution in Namibia is legal and a highly prevalent common practice. Related activities such as solicitation, procuring and being involved in the running of a brothel are illegal. A World Bank study estimated there were about 11,000 prostitutes in Namibia.

Prostitution in Eritrea is legal and regulated. Official figures state there are around 2,000 prostitutes in the country, who are not allowed to operate near schools, hospitals, and churches. According to the 2009 Human Rights Reports, security forces occasionally follow women engaged in prostitution and arrest those who had spent the night with a foreigner. Some women enter prostitution due to poverty. Prostitutes are known locally as "shermuta" in Arabic, or "mnzerma" and "me'amn" in Tigrinya.

Prostitution in Uzbekistan is illegal, but prostitution has increased within the country since the collapse of the Soviet Union. UNAIDS estimated there to be 22,000 sex workers in the country in 2019. Many of the women have turned to prostitution in Uzbekistan because of poverty.

Prostitution in Togo is legal and commonplace. Related activities such as solicitation, living off the earnings of prostitution or procuring are prohibited. Punishment is up to 10 years imprisonment if minors or violence is involved.

Prostitution in Botswana is not illegal, but laws such as public disorder, vagrancy, loitering and state recognised religious provisions are used to prosecute prostitutes. Related activities such as soliciting and brothel keeping are illegal. Botswana has made proposals to make prostitution legal to prevent the spread of AIDS. However, there has been mass opposition to it by the Catholic Church. Prostitution is widespread and takes place on the street, bars, hotels, brothels and the cabs of long-distance trucks.

Prostitution in Angola is illegal and prevalent since the 1990s. Prostitution increased further at the end of the civil war in 2001. Prohibition is not consistently enforced. Many women engage in prostitution due to poverty. It was estimated in 2013 that there were about 33,00 sex workers in the country. Many Namibian women enter the country illegally, often via the border municipality of Curoca, and travel to towns such as Ondjiva, Lubango and Luanda to work as prostitutes.

Prostitution in South Sudan is legal but related activities such as soliciting or brothel-keeping are illegal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prostitution in the Americas</span>

Legality of prostitution in the Americas varies by country. Most countries only legalized prostitution, with the act of exchanging money for sexual services legal. The level of enforcement varies by country. One country, the United States, is unique as legality of prostitution is not the responsibility of the federal government, but rather state, territorial, and federal district's responsibility.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "100 Countries and Their Prostitution Policies". Procon. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 van Wanrooij, Dennis (2 March 2015). "OTS: Mapping Human Rights Violations Against Sex Workers in El Salvador - Red Umbrella Fund". Red Umbrella Fund. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Prostitution in El Salvador, San Salvador". Dismal World. 25 January 2008. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  4. ↑ "EL SALVADOR: AUTHORITIES ORDER CLOSURE OF BROTHELS". AP Archive. 31 August 1998. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  5. ↑ Flores, Jesus (9 September 2008). "Death and Prostitution at "The Child's Park"". Jesus Flores Fotos. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  6. ↑ "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices; El Salvador". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 13 February 2008.
  7. ↑ Barry, Kathleen (1995). The prostitution of sexuality . New York: New York University Press. ISBN   978-0814712177.
  8. ↑ "Sex workers: Population size estimate - Number, 2016". www.aidsinfoonline.org. UNAIDS. Archived from the original on 4 June 2019. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  9. ↑ "Asociación Mujeres Flor de Piedra". Yellow Page (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Health Profile: El Salvador" Archived 13 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine . United States Agency for International Development (June 2008). Accessed 7 September 2008. PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  11. ↑ Worst Forms of Child Labour - El Salvador: Global March Against Child Labour Archived 11 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine . Globalmarch.org. Retrieved on 30 March 2011.
  12. ↑ Comparative Criminology | North America - El Salvador. Rohan.sdsu.edu. Retrieved on 30 March 2011.
  13. 1 2 "El Salvador 2017 Trafficking in Persons Report". U.S. Department of State. Archived from the original on 3 July 2017. Retrieved 31 December 2017.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
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