Prostitution in Trinidad and Tobago

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Prostitution in Trinidad and Tobago is legal but related activities such as brothel keeping, soliciting and pimping are illegal. [1] [2]

Contents

In Trinidad, Port of Spain is the main place of sex work, [3] [4] including street prostitution on Roberts and Murray Streets. [5] New brothels continue to open across the country, particularly in the south where they are incorporated into small bars and rum shops and are difficult to detect, and in central, where they operate out of a normal-looking flats in a neighbourhood. [6] Many of the sex workers come from Colombia, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and Cuba. Some regularly commute between their home nation and Trinidad. [7]

Prostitution is less common in Tobago, some prostitutes from Trinidad move to Tobago for the tourist season. [8] [9]

The country is a sex tourism destination. [10] Tobago is also known as a destination for female sex tourism. [8]

Sex trafficking is a problem in the country, [11] as is child prostitution. [4]

Legislation

Being a former British colony, much of the prostitution law mirrors that of the UK:

is guilty of an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for five years

History

Colonial period

During the slave period, slaves could sometimes be hired as prostitutes. [14] After the abolition of slavery (1838), many mulatto women became prostitutes or brothel madams, often moving from rural areas to towns such as Port of Spain. [14]

In an effort to control the spread of STIs the Contagious Diseases Ordinance was introduced in 1869. [14] This was based in the similar British Act of 1864. Prostitutes were required to be registered and have regular examinations for STIs. [14] The ordinance was suspended in 1872 and reintroduced in 1875. [14] The register showed a significant number of prostitutes to be working in Port of Spain and San Fernando. [15] Unscrupulous policemen took advantage of the ordinance to demand sexual favours. In Port of Spain, a Sergeant Holder was given unlimited power to enforce the ordinance. He abused his position and, following an investigation brought about by a complaint, was dismissed from the force. [14] The ordinance was abolished in 1887. [14]

The sugar slump of the 1880s [15] brought many more women to the towns, turning to prostitution to try and make a living. [14] At this time, Port of Spain was reported to have more prostitutes than any other town in the West Indies. [15] Most of the taverns in the town were brothels, and the best brothel was reputed to be the "British Coffee House", run by a Mrs Peery. [14] Many of the prostitutes were underage and lived on the streets. [15]

1930's

During the Great Depression in the 1930s, more women turned to prostitution. In his book, Calypso and Society, Gordon Rohlehr noted: "Some singers, indeed, presented the vocation of prostitution as the only alternative to that of housewifery, and warned young girls against leaving their mothers' homes." [16]

The Report of West India Royal Commission (Moyne Report) (1960) concluded: "Commercialised prostitution is not common as a profession in the West Indies. The high percentage of promiscuity in the Colonies puts prostitution into the category of a luxury profession. When this profession is followed, it is usually for economic reasons and because the wages earned by the woman in her other occupation are often too low to obtain the necessities of life for her." [16]

World War 2

Prostitution was a boom industry in the 1940s after the allied troops, especially American, were stationed on the islands during WW2, [17] [18] [19] especially around Port of Spain Arima. [20] In addition to the 100,000 troops, [21] the construction workers building the new American bases at Chaguaramas and Waller Field [17] added to the demand for prostitution. [20]

The spread of STIs was a problem in this era. The Governor of Trinidad and Tobago considered licensing the brothels in the country to ensure proper testing of the women, but this was never brought into force. [21] American Lt. Col. Fox recalled that when he visited in 1941, he was assured that every taxi driver could take him to a house of pleasure with any race of woman he desired. [21]

Post WW2

After the closure of the US Air base at Waller Field in 1949, the demand for prostitution dropped. [19]

Sociologist Lloyd Braithwaite noted in his 1953 survey Social Stratification in Trinidad wrote: "In the lower-class sections of the town many well-known prostitutes abide, even though technically some have no fixed place of abode...the straitened and precarious economic circumstances that face working-class girls, particularly in the towns, must constantly make prostitution a temptation to them." [16]

The demand for prostitutes further dropped when the US Naval base at Chaguaramas was scaled back in 1956 and finally closed in 1963. [19] [22]

Corruption

The United States Department of State reports that prostitution is historically dependent on police corruption. [6] There is also corruption of immigration officials [6] and police in regard to human trafficking. [13] [23] Police provide protection for brothels. Some moonlight at the brothels and provide tip-offs of raids. [13] Part of their payment can be sex with the prostitutes. [13]

In 2013, PC Valentine Eastman, a police officer for 23 years, was charged with 13 [24] human trafficking charges around 3 Colombian women trafficked to a brothel in Marabella. [13] He was the first person in the British Caribbean to be charged with Human trafficking. [13] In 2016 he was committed to High Court for trial. [24]

Sex tourism

The islands are increasingly becoming a destination for sex tourism. [10] [7] [9] This tourism is blamed for the rise in HIV on the island. [7] [9] The Trinidadian Minister of Tourism observed that the rise in HIV/AIDs on the islands was becoming severe and out of control because of sex tourism and the beach-bum phenomenon. [25]

Female sex tourism

Tobago is known as a destination for female sex tourism. [8] European and American women come to the island seeking local men. [7] There is an organised tourist trade for the sex tourism; sometimes a local male is included in the price. [7]

In 2016, Shadae Lamar Smith directed the short film The Resort based on sex tourism in Tobago. It was featured on Issa Rae's YouTube channel. [26]

Sex trafficking

Trinidad and Tobago is a destination, transit, and source country for adults and children subjected to sex trafficking. Women and girls from the Dominican Republic, Guyana, Venezuela, and Colombia are subjected to sex trafficking in brothels and clubs, often lured by offers of legitimate employment, with young women from Venezuela especially vulnerable. NGOs have previously heard reports about the availability of child sex trafficking victims advertised through classified ads and children are subjected to sex trafficking for commercial sex by Trinbagonians and foreign sex tourists. International criminal organisations are increasingly involved in trafficking. Police corruption has in the past been associated with facilitating prostitution and sex trafficking. [23]

Most of the victims of sex trafficking are brought into the country by boat, landing on southern peninsula of Trinidad in Icacos, Cedros and other neighbouring fishing villages. [13]

The United States Department of State Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons ranks Trinidad and Tobago as a Tier 2 country. [23]

Related Research Articles

Child sex tourism (CST) is tourism for the purpose of engaging in the prostitution of children, which is commercially facilitated child sexual abuse. The definition of child in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is "every human being below the age of 18 years". Child sex tourism results in both mental and physical consequences for the exploited children, which may include sexually transmitted infections, "drug addiction, pregnancy, malnutrition, social ostracism, and death", according to the State Department of the United States. Child sex tourism, part of the multibillion-dollar global sex tourism industry, is a form of child prostitution within the wider issue of commercial sexual exploitation of children. Child sex tourism victimizes approximately 2 million children around the world. The children who perform as prostitutes in the child sex tourism trade often have been lured or abducted into sexual slavery.

Prostitution in Belize is legal, but the buying of sexual services is not. Associated activities such as operating a brothel, loitering for the purposes of prostitution and soliciting sex are also illegal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prostitution in Pakistan</span> Overview of the legality and practice of prostitution in Pakistan

Prostitution in Pakistan is a taboo culture of sex-trade that exists as an open secret but illegal. Prostitution is largely based in organisational setups like brothels or furthered by individual call girls.

Prostitution in Panama is legal and regulated. Prostitutes are required to register and carry identification cards. However, the majority of prostitutes are not registered. There are 2,650 sex workers registered with the government in 2008, but there was no accurate information regarding the total number of persons practising prostitution in the country. Some estimate put the number of unregistered prostitutes at 4,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prostitution in Bangladesh</span> Sex work and its regulation in Bangladesh

Prostitution is legal and regulated in Bangladesh. Prostitutes must register and state an affidavit stating that they are entering prostitution of their own free choice and that they are unable to find any other work. Bangladeshi prostitutes often suffer poor social conditions and are frequently socially degraded.

Prostitution is not illegal in Sri Lanka, however, related activities such as soliciting, procuring, and brothels are outlawed. It is also illegal to traffic persons for prostitution, especially minors. Prostitution is not as widespread in Sri Lanka as in some neighbouring countries. It is estimated that there are 40,000 prostitutes in the country, and nearly half of them operate in Colombo.

Prostitution is illegal in Egypt. The Egyptian National Police officially combats prostitution but, like almost all other countries, prostitution exists in Egypt. UNAIDS estimate there to be 23,000 prostitutes in the country, including Egyptians, West African and Eastern Europeans.

Prostitution is illegal in Qatar and carries severe punishment of several years in prison. Prostitution normally takes place in bars, nightclubs and hotels. There are occasional clamp-downs and the prostitutes are arrested and deported.

Prostitution in Cyprus is not illegal, but operating brothels, organising prostitution rings, living off the profits of prostitution, encouraging prostitution or forcing a person to engage in prostitution are illegal activities.

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

The legality of prostitution in Europe varies by country.

Prostitution in Azerbaijan is illegal but common. Prostitution is an administrative offence and punishable by a fine. Keeping a brothel is a criminal offence and punishable by up to 6 years' imprisonment. In 2017 a draft law proposing to add heavy fines to the punishment for keeping a brothel was before the National Assembly. It has been estimated that there are 25,054 prostitutes in Azerbaijan, some of which are aged 15 to 18.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prostitution in Malta</span> Overview of the legality and practice of prostitution in Malta

Prostitution in Malta is itself legal, but certain activities connected with it, such as running a brothel and loitering, are not. Certain offences are punishable by sentences of up to two years in prison. In March 2008, police and the Malta Ministry for Social Policy signed a memorandum of understanding to formalize a screening process for all arrested persons engaged in prostitution to determine whether they were victims of trafficking or other abuses. The law provides punishments of up to 6 years for involving minors in prostitution.

Prostitution in Croatia is illegal but common. Forcible prostitution, any kind of brothels, or procuring are treated as a felony, while voluntary prostitution is considered to be infraction against public order. Like in many other Southeast European countries, the problem of human trafficking for the purposes of sex is big in Croatia.

Prostitution in Rwanda is illegal in all aspects. Prostitutes, clients and any involved third parties are criminalised by the country's Penal Code. However, a draft of a new Penal Code that does not prohibit prostitution was presented for debate in the Rwandan Parliament in December 2017.

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.

Barbados is a source and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to trafficking in persons, specifically forced prostitution and forced labor. Some children in Barbados are subjected to commercial sexual exploitation in “transactional sex” wherein a third party such as a parent receives a benefit from the child's participation in sexual activity. Researchers identified patterns of transactional sex within families, most often by adult male caretakers such as step-fathers, as well as child prostitution outside the home. Women from the Dominican Republic, Guyana, and Jamaica voluntarily enter Barbados as illegal migrants, and some expect to engage in prostitution. Some of these women are exploited in forced prostitution subsequent to their arrival. Some other foreign women who entered the country illegally are exploited in involuntary domestic servitude in private homes. Foreign men have been transported to Barbados for the purpose of labor exploitation in construction and other sectors. Sex traffickers, primarily organized criminals from Guyana, form partnerships with pimps and brothel owners from Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados, and lure women to Barbados with offers of legitimate work. Trafficking victims tend to enter the country through legal means, usually by air; traffickers later use force and coercion to obtain and maintain the victims' work in strip clubs, massage parlors, some private residences, and “entertainment clubs” which operate as brothels. Traffickers use methods such as threats of physical harm or deportation, debt bondage, false contracts, psychological abuse, and confinement to force victims to work in construction, the garment industry, agriculture, or private households.

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.

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

<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.

References

  1. ↑ "Sex Work Law". Sexuality, Poverty and Law. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  2. 1 2 "Laws of Trinidad and Tobago : Sexual Offences Act : Chapter 11:28 : Act 27 of 1986" (PDF). Rgd.legalaffairs.gov.tt. 31 December 2015. Retrieved 2017-01-11.
  3. ↑ "Women trafficked for prostitution and forced marriage in Trinidad - Caribbean360". 24 January 2014. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  4. 1 2 "Trinidad and Tobago: Child Prostitution Is A Thriving Business - Inter Press Service" . Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  5. ↑ Brown, John (15 February 2011). "What about street prostitutes, Louis?". The Trinidad Guardian Newspaper. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  6. 1 2 3 "Trinidad and Tobago 2016 Trafficking in Persons Report". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Pope, Cynthia; White, Renée T.; Malow, Robert (2009). HIV/AIDS : global frontiers in prevention/intervention. New York, NY: Routledge. ISBN   978-0415953832.
  8. 1 2 3 Fido, Austin (20 September 2015). "The shady side of paradise". Trinidad & Tobago Guardian. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
  9. 1 2 3 Gibbings, Wesley (24 March 1997). "The High Cost of Sex Tourism". IPS News. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  10. 1 2 Niblett, Michael; Campbell, Chris (31 May 2016). The Caribbean: Aesthetics, World-Ecology, Politics (Postcolonialism Across the Disciplines). Liverpool University Press. ISBN   978-1781382950.
  11. ↑ "16 Caribbean Nations Where Sex Trafficking Remains A Problem | News Americas Now:Caribbean and Latin America Daily News". News Americas Now. 30 June 2016. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  12. ↑ "Laws of Trinidad and Tobago: Summary Offences Act Chapter 11:02" (PDF). Government of Trinidad and Tobago. 1921. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Connelly, Corey (12 July 2015). "100 Arrivals Weekly". Trinidad and Tobago Newsday. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Trotman, David Vincent (1986). Crime in Trinidad : conflict and control in a plantation society, 1838-1900 (1st ed.). Knoxville, TN: University of Tennessee Press. ISBN   978-0870494918.
  15. 1 2 3 4 Brereton, Bridget (2002). Race relations in colonial Trinidad, 1870-1900 (Paperback ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN   978-0521523134.
  16. 1 2 3 "'Tis the season for prostitution?". The Trinidad Express. 19 February 2011. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  17. 1 2 MacDonald, Scott B. (1 January 1986). Trinidad and Tobago: Democracy and Development in the Caribbean. ABC-CLIO. ISBN   9780275920043 . Retrieved 11 January 2017– via Google Books.
  18. ↑ Brereton, Bridget (20 November 2013). "Women in wartime". The Trinidad Express. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  19. 1 2 3 "Trinidad And Tobago By World War II History Essay". UK Essays. 23 March 2015. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  20. 1 2 Brereton, Bridget (1 January 1996). An Introduction to the History of Trinidad and Tobago. Heinemann. ISBN   9780435984748 . Retrieved 11 January 2017– via Google Books.
  21. 1 2 3 McCollin, Debbie (April 2010). "Friend or foe? Venereal diseases and the American presence in Trinidad and Tobago during World WarII" (PDF). The University of the West Indies. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  22. ↑ Chaguaramas History at the Chaguaramas Development Authority Archived August 20, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  23. 1 2 3 "Trinidad and Tobago 2017 Trafficking in Persons Report". U.S. Department of State. Archived from the original on 3 July 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2018.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  24. 1 2 Wilson, Sascha (16 March 2016). "Cop to stand trial on 13 charges of human trafficking". The Trinidad Guardian Newspaper. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  25. ↑ Daye, Marcella; Chambers, Donna; Roberts, Sherma (2011). New perspectives in Caribbean tourism (Reprint ed.). London: Routledge. ISBN   978-0415897860.
  26. ↑ Fox, Lauren R.D. (8 April 2016). "Issa Rae's #ShortFilmSundays Presents "The Resort," An Exposé On Sex Tourism". Madame Noir. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
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