Prostitution in Nicaragua

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Prostitution in Nicaragua is legal, but promoting prostitution and procuring are prohibited. [1] [2] The minimum age for prostitutes is 18 years old. [1] It was estimated in 2015 that there were around 15,000 prostitutes in the country. [3]

Contents

Prostitution is common in Managua. Prostitutes work on the streets, in nightclubs and bars, or in massage parlors.

Prostitutes are known locally as "zorras". [4]

History

From 1880 to 1927 there were no prostitution laws. Prostitutes, pimps and madams were charged with vagrancy. Prostitution was legalised and regulated from April 1927. Prostitutes has to register and have a weekly health check. Those who did not comply were fined by the police, or after 1933 the National Guard. [5]

In August 1955 a law was passed prohibiting the promotion of prostitution. By then the national Guard had taken control of prostitution in the country. The only people jailed for controlling prostitution were those who wouldn't pay the required bribes. [5]

Starting in the 1960s President Somoza's business empire moved into prostitution and gambling houses. The National Guard (who Somoza was the head of), through being bribed, ensured these establishments flourished. After Somoza was deposed in 1979 by the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN)), one of their first actions was the destruction and burning of "a great number of brothels, bars and gambling houses". The FSLN had previously advocated the elimination of prostitution in its 1969 manifesto, but this was never enacted. [5]

Facilitadoras judiciales

Nicaragua became the first country to train sex workers to be official representatives of the government and the judicial system. [3] In a pilot scheme, 16 sex workers were trained as "Facilitadoras judiciales" (judicial facilitators). [3] This led to a further 60 sex workers being trained. [6] The eventual aim is to have at least six sex workers trained in every municipality (153). [7]

The scheme was organised by the Sunflowers Sex Workers’ Association and is part of a larger initiative that has trained 4,300 facilitators in the country. [6] The scheme is endorsed by the Nicaraguan Judicial System. [3] Vice-president Marvin Aguilar said "We are the only country in the world that treats sex workers as ‘judicial facilitators’. The only country in the world that does not try and arrest them, where the activity is not criminalized.” [3]

The judicial facilitators have the following tasks:

HIV

With only 0.2 percent of the adult population estimated to be HIV-positive, Nicaragua has one of the lowest HIV prevalence rates in Central America. HIV was first detected in Nicaragua in 1987, after concentrated epidemics had been reported in other Central American nations. The onset of the epidemic was likely delayed by Nicaragua's 10-year civil war and the U.S.-led economic blockade, both of which left the country isolated for several years. Relative control over commercial sex work, low infection rates among injecting drug users, and a ban on the commercial sale of blood also slowed HIV transmission. [8]

A September 2005 study on HIV among commercial sex workers reported by UNAIDS demonstrated a prevalence of only 0.2 percent in that group. [8] This had increased to 2.6% in 2016. [9]

Child Prostitution

Child prostitution is widespread, particularly in Managua, port cities, along the Honduran and Costa Rican borders, and near highways. [10] [11]

The law permits juveniles 14 years of age or older to engage in prostitution. [1] According to Casa Alianza, between 1,200 and 1,500 girls and young women work in the brothels of Managua, and almost half are under the age of 18. [12] Every night, hundreds of teenage girls line the Masaya Highway commercial corridor on the capital's south side. Street children engage in prostitution, often to support a drug habit.

Nicaragua is a destination for child sex tourists from the United States, Canada, and Western Europe. [13] The law imposes a penalty of five to seven years' imprisonment for convicted sex tourism offenders. [1]

Sex trafficking

Nicaragua is principally a source and transit country for women, and children subjected to sex trafficking. Nicaraguan women and children are subjected to sex trafficking within the country and in other Central American countries, Mexico, and the United States. Many trafficking victims are recruited in rural areas or border regions with false promises of high-paying jobs in urban centres and tourist locales, where they are subjected to sex trafficking. Victims’ family members are often complicit in their exploitation, and traffickers have reportedly increased recruitment activity on social media sites. Nicaraguan women and children are subjected to sex trafficking in the RAAN and RAAS, where the lack of strong law enforcement institutions and a higher crime rate increase the vulnerability of the local population.

Nicaraguans from Northern-Central departments who migrate to other Central American countries and Europe are reportedly vulnerable to sextrafficking. During the reporting period, Nicaraguans were reported as among the primary nationalities of victims identified in Guatemala. In addition, children left by these migrants in Nicaragua reportedly become vulnerable to sex trafficking.

The United States Department of State Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons ranks Nicaragua as a Tier 2 Watch List country. [14]

Related Research Articles

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 Costa Rica is legal. Costa Rica's legal system is based on Roman law rather than common law, and so for prostitution to be illegal it would have to be explicitly stated as such in a penal code, and it is not. Nevertheless, many of the activities surrounding it are illegal, as the law forbids promoting or facilitating the prostitution of another, and therefore pimping, brothels, or prostitution rings are illegal. Prostitution is common and is practiced openly throughout the country, particularly in popular tourism destinations.

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 El Salvador is not prohibited by national law, but may be prohibited by local municipal ordinances. Municipal ordinances may also prohibit the purchase of sexual services. Related activities such as facilitating, promoting or giving incentives to a person to work as a prostitute (pimping) are illegal. The prostitution of children is also illegal. Brothel ownership, however, is legal. 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%.

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 Cameroon is illegal but tolerated, especially in urban and tourist areas. In the capital, Yaoundé the main area of prostitution is the neighbourhood of Mini Ferme. UNAIDS estimate there are 112,000 sex workers in the country.

Prostitution in Burkina Faso is not specifically prohibited by the law, but soliciting and pimping are illegal. Burkinabe society only accepts sexual intercourse within marriage. In 2009, Voice of America reported that the number of prostitutes in Burkina Faso had increased as a result of the country's poverty. The increase in prostitution has given rise to fears of an increase in the number of Burkinabés infected with HIV and AIDS. UNAIDS estimate there to be 31,000 prostitutes in the country.

Prostitution in Eswatini is illegal, the anti-prostitution laws dating back to 1889, when the country Eswatini was a protectorate of South Africa. Law enforcement is inconsistent, particularly near industrial sites and military bases. Police tend to turn a blind eye to prostitution in clubs. There are periodic clamp-downs by the police.

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 Tajikistan is legal, but related activities such as soliciting, procuring and brothel keeping are prohibited. Prostitution has increased within the country since the collapse of the Soviet Union. UNAIDS estimate there are 14,100 female sex workers in Tajikistan. Government official figures for 2015 were 1,777 prostitutes and 194 brothels. Prostitution occurs on the streets and in bars, restaurants, nightclubs and saunas, and HIV prevalence is 3.5% amongst sex workers.

Prostitution in Madagascar is legal, and common, especially in tourist areas. Related activities such as soliciting, procuring, living off the earnings of prostitution or keeping a brothel are prohibited. Public Order laws are also used against prostitutes. There are recent laws against "consorting with female prostitutes". People caught paying for sex with children under 14 can face criminal penalties of up to 10 years imprisonment. This is strictly enforced against foreign tourists. As well as in the tourist areas, prostitution also occurs around the mining towns of the interior such as Ilakaka and Andilamena. It was estimated that there were 167,443 sex workers in the country in 2014.

Prostitution in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is legal but related activities are prohibited. The Congolese penal code punishes pimping, running a bawdy house or brothel, the exploitation of debauchery or prostitution, as well as forced prostitution. Activities that incite minors or promote the prostitution of others have been criminalised. The government does little to enforce the law. During the colonial era and the years that followed independence, the Ministry of Health issued calling cards identifying professional sex workers and provided them with medical health checks. However, this system was abandoned in the 1980s. Public order laws are sometimes used against sex workers. Street prostitutes report harassment, violence and extortion from the police. UNAIDS estimated there are 2.9 million sex workers in the country.

Prostitution in Niger is illegal but common in the cities, near mines and around military bases. UNAIDS estimate there are 46,630 sex workers in the country. Many have turned to prostitution because of poverty.

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 Guinea-Bissau is common and there are no prostitution laws. In 2016 it was estimated there were 3,138 prostitutes in the country. Often it is associated with other crimes: Many pimps are also reported to be drug dealers. Poverty leads many women to be tempted into prostitution and cocaine addiction.

Prostitution in Benin is legal but related activities such as brothel keeping and benefiting from the prostitution of others are illegal. UNAIDS estimates there to be about 15,000 prostitutes in the country. Most of these are migrants from neighbouring countries, mainly Nigeria, Togo and Ghana. Only 15% of the prostitutes are Beninese. Prostitution occurs on the streets, in bars, restaurants, hotels and brothels. With advent of the smartphone, many prostitutes use apps to make arrangements with clients.

Prostitution in Burundi is illegal but is commonplace and on the rise. Prostitution is prevalent in all areas of the country, and especially in the largest city, Bujumbura, and prior to the security crisis in 2015, the tourist areas around Lake Tanganyika. UNAIDS estimate there are 51,000 prostitutes in Burundi. Many women have turned to prostitution due to poverty.

Prostitution in the Americas Overview of the legality and practice of prostitution in the Americas

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 2008 Human Rights Report: Nicaragua. State.gov. Retrieved on 2011-03-30.PD-icon.svgThis article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  2. ↑ "100 Countries and Their Prostitution Policies". Procon. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Custer, Jeff (4 June 2015). "Nicaragua trains sex workers as judicial facilitators - Inside Costa Rica". Inside Costa Rica. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  4. ↑ "Live in Nicaragua - The Lay of the Land". Live in Nicaragua. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 Gonzalez-Rivera, Victoria (2011). Before the revolution : women's rights and right-wing politics in Nicaragua, 1821-1979. University Park, Pa.: Pennsylvania State University Press. ISBN   978-0271048710.
  6. 1 2 Morel, Blanca (7 April 2015). "Nicaragua prostitutes study law to help others in trouble". Tico Times. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  7. ↑ "Nicaragua Certifies Prostitutes as Paralegals". Q Costa Rica. 22 April 2015. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  8. 1 2 "Health Profile: Nicaragua" (PDF). United States Agency for International Development . June 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 April 2009. Retrieved 7 September 2008.PD-icon.svgThis article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  9. ↑ "HIV prevalence amongst sex workers". www.aidsinfoonline.org. UNAIDS. 2016. Archived from the original on 22 July 2018. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  10. ↑ "Child prostitution: the ugliest part of tourism". Archived from the original on 2004-04-22. Retrieved 2017-04-25.
  11. ↑ Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) - U.S. Department of Labor. Dol.gov. Retrieved on 2011-03-30.
  12. ↑ Child prostitution: the ugliest part of tourism Archived 2012-06-25 at the Wayback Machine . Thepanamanews.com. Retrieved on 2011-03-30.
  13. ↑ "Nicaragua Trafficking in Persons Report 2017". US Department of state. Retrieved 2 January 2018.PD-icon.svgThis article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  14. ↑ "Nicaragua 2018 Trafficking in Persons Report". U.S. Department of State. Archived from the original on 30 July 2018. Retrieved 29 July 2018.
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