Prostitution in Paraguay

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Prostitution in Paraguay is legal for persons over the age of 18, [1] but related activities such as brothel keeping are prohibited. [2] Prostitution is common in the country. Brothels are also common, even some rural villages have a small bar/brothel on the outskirts. [3]

Contents

Asunción

Whilst there is no red-light district in the capital, Asunción, street prostitution is widespread in the city centre, especially around Plaza Uruguaya. [4] Brothels are also common in the city centre. [4] Prostitutes can also be found in bars and discos. [3]

There are about 30 "motels" in and around the city that cater for illicit sex. Rented by the hour, the suites are approached through a garage so people can't be seen entering or leaving. Any refreshments required are ordered by telephone and delivered through a flap in the door, payment is also made through the flap. The staff never see the guests. [3]

After the Paraguayan War (1864 to 1870), Asunción was occupied by troops from Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay. Many women turned to prostitution. An unfinished theatre was converted into a brothel where 400 women worked and lived. When the occupying troops withdrew from the city, the Argentinian National Guard took 300 prostitutes back to Buenos Aires with them. In an attempt to 'clean up' the city, the authorities shipped many prostitutes to rural areas of the country. [5]

HIV

HIV is a problem in the country and sex workers are a high group. Since 1995 the government has been running a scheme for sex workers as part of their "Struggle Against AIDS" campaign. Social and health workers offer support, information, free testing and distribute condoms. [6] There is a reluctance to use condoms in the country, [3] partially due to the Catholic Church's opposition. [6] Some clients offer to pay more for sex without a condom. [6]

In 2016, UNAIDS estimated the HIV prevalence amongst sex workers to be 7%. [7]

Child prostitution

Child prostitution is a problem. Poor children are trafficked from rural areas to urban centers such as Asunción, Ciudad del Este, and Encarnación for commercial sexual exploitation. Street children and working children are common targets for trafficking recruiters. [8]

In 2002, the International Labour Organisation's International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour found that in Ciudad del Este, 250 of the 650 sex workers in the streets were underage. [9] A 2005 study by United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) estimated two out of three sex workers were underage girls. [9] Many NGOs and international organisations are working to alleviate the problem. [9]

Sex trafficking

Paraguay is a source, destination, and transit country for men, women, and children subjected to sex trafficking. Paraguayan women and girls are subjected to sex trafficking within the country, and transgender Paraguayans are vulnerable to sex trafficking. Thousands of Paraguayan children work as domestic servants in exchange for food, board, and occasionally education or a small stipend in a system called criadazgo; many of these children are subjected to domestic servitude and are highly vulnerable to sex trafficking. Indigenous persons are particularly at risk for sex trafficking. In 2015, authorities reported at least 24 Paraguayan women were recruited for work in Turkey and later exploited in forced prostitution in brothels throughout Turkey, Spain, and the northern area of Cyprus administered by Turkish Cypriots. The reliance of international trafficking rings on local recruiters remains a problem. Traffickers offer victims their freedom or pardon of debts if they recruit other victims and often rely on social media outlets as recruiting tools. Foreign victims of sex trafficking in Paraguay are mostly from other South American countries. Paraguayan victims of sex trafficking are found in Argentina, Spain, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, China, Colombia, and other countries. Paraguayan women are recruited as couriers of illicit narcotics to Europe and Africa, where they are subjected to forced prostitution. [10]

NGOs and authorities reported government officials, including police, border guards, judges, and public registry employees, facilitated human trafficking, including by taking bribes from brothel owners in exchange for protection, extorting suspected traffickers in order to prevent arrest, and producing fraudulent identity documents. [10]

The United States Department of State Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons ranked Paraguay as a Tier 2 country. [10]

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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 Kenya is widespread. The legal situation is complex. Although prostitution is not criminalised by National law, municipal by-laws may prohibit it.. It is illegal to profit from the prostitution of others, and to aid, abet, compel or incite prostitution.. UNAIDS estimate there to be 133,675 prostitutes in the country.

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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 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 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 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 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.

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

References

  1. ↑ Paraguay. State.gov (2006-03-08). Retrieved on 2011-03-30.
  2. ↑ "100 Countries and Their Prostitution Policies - Legal Prostitution - ProCon.org". prostitution.procon.org. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Kopczinski, H.W. "Domizilland Paraguay". Paraguay Online (in German). Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  4. 1 2 "Scam City: Asuncion Paraguay". Points Summary. 28 October 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  5. ↑ Warren, Harris Gaylord; Warren, Katherine F (1978). Paraguay and the Triple Alliance : the postwar decade, 1869-1878. [Austin]: Institute of Latin American Studies, University of Texas at Austin. ISBN   978-0292764453.
  6. 1 2 3 Luxner, Larry (22 June 1995). "Paraguay: AIDS program targets prostitutes". Luxner News Inc. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  7. ↑ "HIV prevalence amongst sex workers". www.aidsinfoonline.org. UNAIDS. 2016. Archived from the original on 22 July 2018. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  8. ↑ "PDF 123363" (PDF). Retrieved 2011-10-15.
  9. 1 2 3 Díaz, Natalia Ruiz (17 August 2009). "NGO Offers Girls a Way Out of Sexual Exploitation". IPS News. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  10. 1 2 3 "Paraguay 2016 Trafficking in Persons Report". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 30 December 2017.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
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