The most comprehensive compilation of information on the status of
women in the world.

Latest items for IRP-PRACTICE-3

March 19, 2024, 1:06 a.m.
Countries: Zimbabwe
Variables: IRP-PRACTICE-3

"The organ has it on record that studies show that sex workers often face violence from the police, clients and partners, increasing their risk of acquiring HIV. The prevalence of HIV among sex workers in Zimbabwe is exceptionally high, estimated at 42,2%" (para 3).
March 19, 2024, 12:28 a.m.
Countries: Zambia
Variables: IRP-PRACTICE-3

"Violence from clients, who act with impunity because of the patriarchal privileges and lack of action from the police" (para 10). "High HIV prevalence in some semi urban and rural districts due to lack of better and informed tailored access to basic health, social, sexual reproductive health and rights services for sex workers" (para 14).
March 18, 2024, 11:44 p.m.
Countries: Yemen
Variables: IRP-PRACTICE-3

"Forced abductions, torture and sexual violence against women have risen since 2015, said al-Kamal, handling ten other cases similar to al-Hammadi’s" (para 8). "By speaking to five survivors, lawyers, and human rights activists, The Independent learned that prostitution rings and sexual violence against women are rife in Houthi-run detention sites in Yemen" (para 9).
March 18, 2024, 9:51 p.m.
Countries: Vietnam
Variables: IRP-PRACTICE-3

"An ILO study in 2016 said sex workers were some of the most vulnerable people in Vietnam as they have to deal with regular police raids and persistent fear of theft and violence" (para 8).
March 16, 2024, 5:14 p.m.
Countries: United Arab Emirates
Variables: IRP-PRACTICE-3

"Three of the women said in interviews that Gold told them that if they didn’t do as they were told, they’d be killed and dumped in the desert. Those who didn’t make enough money for her were taken to a room in an apartment in Dubai, where Gold’s brother starved them, flogged them and shoved hot chili paste into their vaginas, according to three anti-trafficking officials and five women who provided detailed accounts in interviews and court statements" (para 4). "A Nigerian mother in her 20s said a trafficker led her and two other women to a parking lot in Ajman, one of the emirates that make up the UAE,...more
March 16, 2024, 5:03 p.m.
Countries: Ukraine
Variables: IRP-PRACTICE-3

"Tetyana said some men refuse to pay full price. 'Sometimes a man promises $12, I do my job, but he pays me only $7,' she said. 'He says, ‘Hey, I earn less now,’ and I say, ‘So do not come to me''" (para 13).
March 16, 2024, 4:54 p.m.
Countries: Uganda
Variables: IRP-PRACTICE-3

"The job comes with significant risks: Sex workers face the constant threat of police raids, monetary fines, and sexual exploitation by clients and police officers, with no legal recourse to report this abuse when it occurs" (para 3). "Even if a sex worker acquiesces, the officer often brings her right back into detention afterward. 'You are traumatized, you are being abused, [and] the police probably don’t even have condoms,' Macklean said. 'You are being put at risk'" (para 21). "Uganda’s HIV rates are among the highest in the world: an estimated 1.5 million people in the country are HIV-positive, or 6 percent of the population. Sex workers are an especially...more
March 16, 2024, 4:33 p.m.
Countries: Turkey
Variables: IRP-PRACTICE-3

"Melike Arzu Şakiroğlu wanted job security. Like other sex workers in Istanbul, she often encountered disturbed men, was subjected to abuse and had no social insurance" (para 1). "'Either we work through an escort website or the streets, or work in a bordello,' she continued. 'If you work at an escort website, when someone calls you either you go to his place or he comes to your place. He could be a psycho or a serial killer. We experienced this. We had real-life examples. Many of our friends lost their lives'” (5)
March 16, 2024, 4:17 p.m.
Countries: Tunisia
Variables: IRP-PRACTICE-3

"Even if the pay was less generous in a licensed brothel, where the going rate was 10.5 Tunisian dinars ($3.60) per client, it was preferable to the 30 dinars you might make on your own, because it was safer. 'At least in the brothel I had police protection. They could control the clients and make sure they used condoms,' she says" (para 4). "With state oversight unclear, many Tunisian prostitutes now rely on voluntary associations to safeguard their health and welfare. 'Rapes and attacks against women have risen since the brothels closed,' says Bouthayna Aoussaoui, who runs an organisation that helps the women" (para 5). "In 2018 a survey found...more
March 9, 2024, 12:19 p.m.
Countries: South Africa
Variables: IRP-PRACTICE-3

"Several of the women described being driven out to the middle of nowhere, raped, and then kicked out of the car, sometimes naked. One woman said she got into a car with a client who had promised to buy her services for the whole night. Once she was in his car, he choked and blindfolded her, then raped her repeatedly without a condom" (para 11).
March 9, 2024, 12:15 p.m.
Countries: South Africa
Variables: IRP-PRACTICE-3

"Women in South Africa face very high levels of gender-based violence. Female sex workers are even more exposed than other women. A recent study showed that 70% of female sex workers had experienced violence in the past year. More than half had been raped by intimate partners, police, clients or other men" (para 8). "HIV prevalence of between 39% and 89% has been documented among female sex workers across different areas of South Africa in the last decade. This is extremely high when compared to the country’s national HIV prevalence rate of 13.7%" (para 9).
March 9, 2024, 12:08 p.m.
Countries: South Africa
Variables: IRP-PRACTICE-3

"A new cross-sectional analysis of sex workers in South Africa suggests that they have an “extraordinarily high” HIV incidence rate, and thus require significantly more outreach and intervention in order to curb HIV transmission within the population as a whole" (para 1). "The analysis, published in The Lancet HIV, showed an HIV incidence rate of 5 cases per 100 person-years" (para 2). "Corresponding author Reshma Kassanjee, PhD, of the University of Cape Town, and colleagues, said an estimated 7.3 million adults in South Africa are HIV-positive, but women make up nearly two-thirds of those cases. In fact, one-quarter of women between the ages of 15 and 49 are believed to...more
March 9, 2024, 12:05 p.m.
Countries: South Africa
Variables: IRP-PRACTICE-3

"South Africa has one of largest HIV caseloads in the world and has been hit by a growing wave of violence against women" (para 4). "Police Minister Bheki Cele said there had been a double-digit increase in murders of women year-on-year between July and September with almost 1,000 women killed. Rapes were also up 11 percent, with 10,000 cases during the period, he said" (para 5). HIgh rates of violence, STD incidence, and rape can be good indicators that women enjoy low levels of bargaining power vis a vis their male clients and pimps (MCP - CODER COMMENT). "Some recent gruesome incidents have shocked the nation, including the retrieval of...more
March 9, 2024, 11:57 a.m.
Countries: Somalia
Variables: IRP-PRACTICE-3

"While sex work is illegal in Somalia, the authorities have turned a blind eye to the industry, citing more pressing security concerns. This has created a dangerous and unregulated environment for sex workers, who face a range of risks, including violence, exploitation, and sexually transmitted infections" (para 4). High occurrence of violence and STDs can be an indicator that women enjoy low bargaining power vis a vis their male clients and pimps (MCP - CODER COMMENT).
March 9, 2024, 11:30 a.m.
Countries: Singapore
Variables: IRP-PRACTICE-3

"There are many rules for being a legal sex worker in the city-state. Women may incur a S$500 fine for leaving a brothel without permission, for example" (para 21). While legalization might heavily regulate the sex industry, perhaps even protecting licensed prostitutes from violence and HIV infection, licensed prostitutes are micromanaged by their pimps and enjoy slim to no personal liberties (MCP - CODER COMMENT). "Sex workers must be between the ages of 21 and 35, and are required to undergo an interview with the local police before being allowed to work in the brothels, according to law articles compiled by Project X. Passports and contracts are held by the...more
March 9, 2024, 11:25 a.m.
Countries: Sierra Leone
Variables: IRP-PRACTICE-3

"As a result of the current COVID 19 pandemic, clientele is sparse and so, as Conteh notes, every client counts more – though they pay less. One woman interviewed noted that prior to the pandemic, she used to charge the equivalent of USD 7 – USD 15 per client and now can only charge around USD 3. This is putting sex workers in a position to accept greater risks with clients who they may have previously rejected. Sex workers interviewed by Conteh shared horrific stories of women in the sex trade disappearing off the streets, some trafficked against their will to other areas, others tortured or killed" (para 3, 4)....more
March 5, 2024, 9:46 a.m.
Countries: Russia
Variables: IRP-PRACTICE-3

"'Problematic clients' include those who were conscripted to fight in the war. 'Those called up to fight (and) come ‘one last time’ are incredibly aggressive, and subject women to brutality,' said Jewgienija from Perm. Ljubow, another sex worker from the same city, says these clients often say 'They’re taking me away in two days, so I’d like a taste of life now'" (para 18). In the context of a large-scale war, and under established deregulation, violence against prostitutes likely increases and the government's motivation to address it decreases (MCP - CODER COMMENT). "'One of the girls I work with was told ‘I fought in the war, so you owe this...more
March 5, 2024, 9:45 a.m.
Countries: Russia
Variables: IRP-PRACTICE-3

"But the reality is that Russian sex workers operate in a hidden world outside the law and out of sight — making them doubly vulnerable to infection and abuse, as AFP journalists found after being granted rare access to an illegal brothel" (para 2). The illegality of prostitution leaves room for an unregulated industry whose workers are unprotected and have virtually no rights vis a vis their clients or pimps (MCP - CODER COMMENT). "The activist, Regina Akhmetzyanova, spends her evening going to such clandestine brothels to give out condoms and to offer sex workers an HIV test. This is particularly important for prostitutes since infection rates in Russia are...more
March 5, 2024, 9:25 a.m.
Countries: Qatar
Variables: IRP-PRACTICE-3

"The U.S Department of State has categorized Qatar as a Tier-2 country for sex trafficking. It is a hot spot for drug and sex traffickers of Asia and Europe where younger age girls are trafficked for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation. Despite the strict regulations and laws, sex workers continue to work in Doha illegally with under the table deals (para 11). Women who are trafficked and forced to do sex work are likely given no rights vis a vis their Johns and Pimps (MCP - CODER COMMENT).
Feb. 11, 2024, 3:02 p.m.
Countries: Switzerland
Variables: IRP-PRACTICE-3

"'I have a regular client and he asked me to meet him at Davos as he was attending. I told him I was in Germany, but he arranged flights and a car for me. We stayed in a beautiful hotel in Davos, drinking champagne and eating fabulous meals. I gave him what he required and he was very satisfied'" (para 10-11). "'I don't up [our] rates for Davos, as I like to remain transparent obviously. I expect the travel and any incidental accommodation expenses to be met by the clients'" (para 23). "'We cater for anything a client desires, within reason, and the feedback I have had from my girls...more
Jan. 16, 2024, 6:33 p.m.
Countries: Botswana
Variables: IRP-PRACTICE-3

"[A] Mapping, Size Estimation & Behavioural and Biological Surveillance Survey (BBSS) of HIV/STI Among Select High-Risk Sub-Populations in Botswana survey showed FSWs [female sex workers] as a sub-population most affected by HIV in Botswana. The FSWs population size was estimated at 4,000 in the three districts surveyed (Gaborone, Kasane and Francistown). High HIV prevalence (62.1%) and incidence (12.5%) were also reported amongst this group in the surveyed districts" (26). This indicated that prostitutes are not able to require condom use (VMH - CODER COMMENT).
Dec. 16, 2023, 9:52 p.m.
Countries: Philippines
Variables: IRP-PRACTICE-3

"Many of my interviewees pointed to instances of everyday extortion: Police officers would approach them and demand money, sex, or both in exchange for not arresting them. In one particularly egregious case, cops engaged in ritual humiliation by urinating on two sex workers who were waiting for clients on a street corner. Many experienced having a gun casually pointed at them by patrolling cops. Some of their worst clients were also policemen. In a context where sex work is criminalised, it is dangerous to demand payment from a client who is also a cop. Many street workers are unwilling to report abusive clients or managers to the police after having...more
Dec. 16, 2023, 12:51 a.m.
Countries: Peru
Variables: IRP-PRACTICE-3

"'Women and girls are recruited with false promises of work and then forced to have sex with miners. The younger they are the better as they can charge more,' said Mercedes Arce, coordinator at the anti-trafficking group CHS Alternativo" (para 15). Women and girls who are trafficked and forced to become prostitutes likely have no bargaining power vis a vis her clients or pimps (MCP - CODER COMMENT). "The women and girls are also fined if they disobey rules that range from leaving the bar without permission to going to bed early and arguing with co-workers, said Luz Amelia Saavedra, who heads the human trafficking office of the local prosecutor"...more
Dec. 16, 2023, 12:49 a.m.
Countries: Peru
Variables: IRP-PRACTICE-3

"A wave of murders of trans women in Peru — six since the beginning of the year, after eight all of last year — has exposed a country unable or unwilling to protect trans people. And it has triggered protests demanding urgent action against gender violence" (para 1). The six murders that are described here are six transgender women who were sex workers. Since trans women generally operate outside of the legal constraints of prostitution in Peru, they don't enjoy some of the protections of registered prostitutes and have largely less leverage vis a vis their male clients (MCP - CODER COMMENT). "Since the beginning of 2023, six trans women...more
Dec. 14, 2023, 3:31 p.m.
Countries: Paraguay
Variables: IRP-PRACTICE-3

"An estimated 47,000 Paraguayan children work in situations of criadazgo; many of these children are highly vulnerable to sex and labor trafficking. Although the practice mainly affects young girls, boys represent 30 percent of children in criadazgo. Traffickers exploit children from rural areas in sex trafficking and forced labor in urban centers. Child sex trafficking cases often involve a familial trafficker" (para 23). Since we know thousands of victims of trafficking are forced into sexual labor, and that these victims are oftentimes children, we can assume that the child sex slaves have no bargaining power vis a vis their clients (MCP - CODER COMMENT).
Dec. 13, 2023, 11:47 p.m.
Countries: Papua New Guinea
Variables: IRP-PRACTICE-3

"An isolated case? Far from it. As Amnesty International details in its report, sex workers are amongst some of the most marginalized and vulnerable citizens in this Pacific island nation experiencing high levels of sexual and gender-based violence, and gender inequality" (para 3). "Such failures in justice, combined with a toxic mix of widespread stigma and discrimination against sex workers, is creating an environment in which others in society feel able to commit crimes against them with impunity. We received several consistent reports of two sex workers who had recently been killed by clients. One was murdered outside Mt Hagen police station in 2013. Another was raped and killed in...more
Dec. 13, 2023, 11:46 p.m.
Countries: Papua New Guinea
Variables: IRP-PRACTICE-3

"It has left many of the countless numbers involved as paraiahs in their own society, vulnerable to abuse, violence and rampant diseases such as HIV infections" (para 9). A high rate of HIV infections can be an indicator that prostitutes have little to no bargaining power in how their interactions with clients are conducted (MCP - CODER COMMENT). "The same survey showed almost 80 per cent of sex workers had been sexually abused in the previous year, 70 per cent had been raped in the few months leading up to the survey and about half had been raped multiple times in that period" (para 12). "While the rate of HIV/AIDS...more
Dec. 12, 2023, 12:50 p.m.
Countries: Pakistan
Variables: IRP-PRACTICE-3

"Some Pakistani traffickers lure women and girls away from their families with promises of marriage, create fraudulent marriage certificates, and exploit women and girls in sex trafficking, including in Iran and Afghanistan. Traffickers target impoverished Christian communities to send women and girls to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) for arranged marriages. Upon arrival in the PRC, hundreds of Pakistani women reported their 'husbands' forced them into commercial sex" (para 32). Since these women are tricked and trafficked to another country, it's unlikely that they have any bargaining power vis a vis their husbands or even the clients that the husbands force these women to see (MCP - CODER COMMENT).more
Dec. 12, 2023, 12:27 a.m.
Countries: Pakistan
Variables: IRP-PRACTICE-3

"When I asked her if there was any way of verifying if these people could be trusted, she told me, 'Women like us have to take a leap of faith; manager saab does background checks, but at the end of the day, he has a family to feed too, people would do anything to not go hungry, whether that means taking risks themselves or putting others at risk.' Then she went on to add that sometimes these women become very successful and come back richer than before, but more often than not, once you’re gone, you’re gone, never to be heard of again" (para 8). Despite attempting to run checks...more
Dec. 11, 2023, 10:45 p.m.
Countries: Oman
Variables: IRP-PRACTICE-3

"She was 26 years old and forced into prostitution. They are not allowed to call home and are forced to live in inhumane conditions, at times sold from one household to another by the local agents, he said" (para 11).