Prostitution in Papua New Guinea

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Prostitution in Papua New Guinea is generally regarded as illegal but widely practiced with the laws rarely enforced. [1] Prostitution occurs on the streets, in bars, brothels [2] and in logging, mining, and palm oil areas. [3] In 2010 it was estimated there were 2.000 prostitutes in the capital, Port Moresby. [2] The drought in 2016 caused a rise in prostitution. [4] Many of the women have turned to sex work due to poverty or unemployment. [2]

Contents

HIV, [5] sex trafficking [3] and child prostitution [6] are common problems in Papua New Guinea.

The legal situation in Papua New Guinea is complex. The Summary Offences Act 1977 makes keeping a brothel and living on the earnings of prostitution offences. The idea of the law was to decriminalise prostitution but criminalise those who sought to exploit or profit from it. In 1978, a Papua New Guinea court interpreted ‘living on the earnings of prostitution’ to include 'profit from one's own prostitution'. (Wemay v Tumdual) [2] The ruling effectively made all prostitution illegal. [7] In a further case it was ruled that "occasional transactional sex for small amounts of money was insufficient to warrant a conviction". [2] This may be a unique legal situation in that prostitution is made illegal not by Statute law but by case law.

In rural areas, 'customary law' is also in force. [7] These laws are not written down, but are based on the knowledge of the laws of the indigenous peoples. [2]

There have been calls to legalise prostitution. [8] In October 2016, a private member's Bill was introduced to Parliament by the Member for Sumkar, Ken Fairweather, to instigate legalisation. Prime Minister Peter O'Neill [9] and Oro Governor Gary Juffa said they would oppose any call for legalisation. [10]

Law enforcement

Law enforcement is inconsistent. Sex workers and NGOs report corruption amongst police. [2] [7] There also report violence, intimidation, abuse, extortion and rape at the hands of the police. [2] [7] Knowingly transmitting HIV contrary to the HIV/AIDS Management and Prevention Act (HAMP) Act 2003 is sometimes used to detain sex workers, but there is no evidence of any charges being brought under this legislation. [2]

HIV

The country has the highest HIV prevalence in the Pacific. [5] Sex workers are one of the high risk groups, although HIV response in the country is now being directed towards the high risk groups. [11] Access to healthcare is poor for sex workers. [12] UNAIDS estimated an HIV prevalence of 17.8% amongst sex workers in 2016. [5]

Sex trafficking

Papua New Guinea is a source, transit, and destination country for women, and children subjected to sex trafficking. Foreign and local women and children are subjected to sex trafficking, including near logging, mining, and palm oil sites. “Mosko Girls”, young girls employed in bars to provide companionship to patrons and sell an alcoholic drink called mosko, are vulnerable to human trafficking, especially around major cities. Within the country, children and women from rural areas are deceived, often by relatives, with promises of legitimate work or education to travel to different provinces where they are subjected to sex trafficking. NGOs report some parents receive money from traffickers who exploited their teenage daughters in prostitution, including near mining and logging sites. Children, including girls as young as 5 years old from remote rural areas, are reportedly subjected to sex trafficking by members of their immediate family or tribe. Tribal leaders reportedly trade with each other the service of girls and women for guns and to forge political alliances.

Young girls sold into polygamous marriages may be exploited in prostitution. In urban areas, parents reportedly exploit their children in sex trafficking directly or in brothels as a means to support their families or to pay for school fees. Government officials reportedly facilitate trafficking by accepting bribes to allow undocumented migrants to enter the country or ignore trafficking situations, and some may exploit sex trafficking victims or procure victims for other individuals in return for political favours or votes.

Malaysian and Chinese logging companies arrange for some foreign women to enter the country voluntarily with fraudulently issued tourist or business visas. After their arrival, many of these women, from countries including Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, China, and the Philippines, are turned over to traffickers who transport them to logging and mining camps, fisheries, and entertainment sites, and exploit them in forced prostitution. [3]

The United States Department of State Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons ranks Papua New Guinea as a "Tier 3" country. [13]

Related Research Articles

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.

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

Prostitution in Ethiopia is legal, and widespread. Procuring is illegal according to Article 634 of the Ethiopian Penal Code, as revised May 2005, however these laws are rarely enforced. Some feel it has contributed to the increased incidence of AIDS. UNAIDS estimate there are over 19,000 prostitutes in the major cities.

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 Sierra Leone is legal and commonplace. Soliciting and 3rd party involvement are prohibited by the Sexual Offences Act 2012. UNAIDS estimate there are 240,000 prostitutes in the country. They are known locally as 'serpents' because of the hissing noise they use to attract clients.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human trafficking in Papua New Guinea</span>

Papua New Guinea is a source, destination, and transit country for men, women, and children subjected to trafficking in persons, specifically forced prostitution and forced labor. Women and children are subjected to commercial sexual exploitation and involuntary domestic servitude; trafficked men are forced to provide labor in logging and mining camps. Children, especially young girls from tribal areas, are most vulnerable to being pushed into commercial sexual exploitation or forced labor by members of their immediate family or tribe. Families traditionally sell girls into forced marriages to settle their debts, leaving them vulnerable to involuntary domestic servitude, and tribal leaders trade the exploitative labor and service of girls and women for guns and political advantage. Young girls sold into marriage are often forced into domestic servitude for the husband’s extended family. In more urban areas, some children from poorer families are prostituted by their parents or sold to brothels. Migrant women and teenage girls from Malaysia, Thailand, China, and the Philippines are subjected to forced prostitution, and men from China are transported to the country for forced labor.

Prostitution in Kyrgyzstan has been legal since 1998, but the operation of brothels, pimping, and recruiting persons into prostitution are illegal, with penalties of up to five years There are estimated to be 7,100 sex workers in the country. Prostitution occurs on the streets, in bars, hotels and brothels.

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 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 Malawi is legal and prevalent around hotels and bars in urban and tourist areas. Living off the proceeds of prostitution is illegal. In 2015, it was estimated there were 20,000 sex workers in the country.

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 Somalia is officially illegal. There is generally very little voluntary prostitution in the country according to the African Medical Research and Education Foundation (AMREF). UNAIDS estimated there were 10,957 sex workers in Somalia in 2016.

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 Oceania</span> Legality of prostitution in Oceania

Prostitution in Oceania varies greatly across the region. In American Samoa, for instance, prostitution is illegal, whereas in New Zealand most aspects of the trade are decriminalised.

Prostitution in the Solomon Islands is legal but related activities such as soliciting and brothel keeping are prohibited. Prostitution occurs mainly in the capital, Honiara, and around logging camps in Makira, Malaita and Isabel islands. Many of the women involved have turned to prostitution due to poverty, some starting at the age of 13. The laws are rarely enforced.

References

  1. ↑ "The Legal Status of Prostitution by Country". ChartsBin. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Criminalizing Sex Work In Papua New Guinea" (PDF). Amnesty International . 2016. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 "Papua New Guinea 2017 Trafficking in Persons Report". U.S. Department of State. Archived from the original on 3 July 2017. Retrieved 7 February 2018.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  4. ↑ "Papua New Guinea food shortage leads parents to 'sell children for rice'". The Telegraph. 13 April 2016. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 "Papua New Guinea". UNAIDS . Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  6. ↑ "Growing market in PNG capital for child prostitution". Radio New Zealand. 24 June 2013. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Sex Work Law". Sexuality, Poverty and Law Programme. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
  8. ↑ "Calls to decriminalise sex work in PNG to combat high HIV rates". ABC News. 2 February 2018. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  9. ↑ Kare, David (29 October 2016). "Prostitution Bill". Sunday Chronicle: PNG's Weekly Newspaper. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  10. ↑ Jackson, Keith (3 November 2016). "Controversy erupts over legalisation of prostitution in PNG". Asopa. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  11. ↑ "HIV and sexually transmitted infections in Papua New Guinea". WHO Western Pacific Region. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  12. ↑ "AIDS 2014 - Abstract Sex workers in Papua New Guinea call for reforming laws around sex work and HIV transmission". AIDS2014. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  13. ↑ "Papua New Guinea 2018 Trafficking in Persons Report". U.S. Department of State. Archived from the original on 30 July 2018. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
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