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{{Short description|none}} <!-- "none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]] -->
{{Under construction}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
'''Prostitution in Ivory Coast''' ([[Côte d'Ivoire]]) is legal, but associated activities, such as [[soliciting]], [[Procuring (prostitution)|pandering]] or running [[brothels]], are illegal.<ref name="spl">{{cite web|title=Sex Work Law - Countries|url=http://spl.ids.ac.uk/sexworklaw/countries|website=Sexuality, Poverty and Law|accessdate=8 January 2018|language=en}}</ref><ref name="state08">{{cite web|url=https://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2008/af/118997.htm |title=2008 Human Rights Report: Cote d'Ivoire |publisher=United States Department of State |date=2009-02-25 |accessdate=2010-01-25}}</ref> Sex workers report law enforcement is sparse and corrupt. Police sometimes harass sex workers and demand bribes or sexual favours.<ref name="spl" /><ref name="state08" /> [[Transgender]] prostitutes are often targeted by police and soldiers and subjected to violence.<ref name="taiwan">{{cite web|last1=Corey-Boulet|first1=Robbie|title=Transgender prostitutes face abuse in Ivory Coast|url=https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/2095198|website=Taiwan News|accessdate=8 January 2018|date=12 October 2012}}</ref>
'''Prostitution in Ivory Coast''' ([[Côte d'Ivoire]]) is legal, but associated activities, such as [[soliciting]], [[Procuring (prostitution)|pandering]] or running [[brothels]], are illegal.<ref name="spl">{{cite web|title=Sex Work Law - Countries|url=http://spl.ids.ac.uk/sexworklaw/countries|website=Sexuality, Poverty and Law|access-date=8 January 2018|language=en}}</ref><ref name="state08">{{cite web|url=https://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2008/af/118997.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090226174837/http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2008/af/118997.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=26 February 2009 |title=2008 Human Rights Report: Cote d'Ivoire |publisher=United States Department of State |date=25 February 2009 |access-date=25 January 2010}}</ref> Sex workers report law enforcement is sparse and corrupt. Police sometimes harass sex workers and demand bribes or sexual favours.<ref name="spl" /><ref name="state08" /> [[Transgender]] prostitutes are often targeted by police and soldiers and subjected to violence.<ref name="taiwan">{{cite web|last1=Corey-Boulet|first1=Robbie|title=Transgender prostitutes face abuse in Ivory Coast|url=https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/2095198|website=Taiwan News|access-date=8 January 2018|date=12 October 2012}}</ref> It was estimated in 2014 that there were 9,211 prostitutes in the country.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sex workers: Population size estimate - Number, 2016 |url=http://www.aidsinfoonline.org/gam/stock/shared/dv/PivotData_2018_7_22_636678151733621264.htm |website=www.aidsinfoonline.org |publisher=[[UNAIDS]] |access-date=21 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604174922/http://www.aidsinfoonline.org/gam/stock/shared/dv/PivotData_2018_7_22_636678151733621264.htm |archive-date=4 June 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref>


The [[First Ivorian Civil War|civil war]] has left many women in need for wages, so some have resorted to prostitution, as there is high unemployment.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2006/78730.htm |title=2006 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices » Africa » Cote d'Ivoire |publisher=United States Department of State |date=2007-03-06 |accessdate=2010-01-25}}</ref><ref name="voa" />
The [[First Ivorian Civil War|civil war]] has left many women in need for wages, so some have resorted to prostitution, as there is high unemployment.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://2001-2009.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2006/78730.htm |title=2006 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices " Africa " Cote d'Ivoire |publisher=United States Department of State |date=6 March 2007 |access-date=25 January 2010}}</ref><ref name="voa" />


In the capital, [[Abidjan]], most of the prostitutes come from [[Ghana]], [[Nigeria]], [[Togo]], [[Mali]], [[Senegal]] and other West African states,<ref name="ency">{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-5WyPfynlwMC&pg=PA534&lpg=PA534&dq=prostitution%20in%20ghana&source=bl&ots=SseAV-lpOj&sig=01APuzbJ-F021mGPB9OeDS6bmRE&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjY5dHV2NfRAhVnD8AKHT-eCkA4FBDoAQgZMAA#v=onepage&q=prostitution%20in%20ghana&f=false|title=Encyclopedia of Prostitution and Sex Work|first=Melissa Hope|last=Ditmore|date=1 January 2006|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|accessdate=8 January 2018|via=Google Books}}</ref> the largest group being from Ghana.<ref name="laval" /> Ivoirian soldiers and UN Peacekeeping personnel are amongst the clients.<ref name="voa">{{cite web|title=Young West African Girls Face Perils of Prostitution, Trafficking|url=https://www.voanews.com/a/a-13-young-west-african-girls-face-perils-of-prostitution-and-trafficking-66383792/547929.html|website=VOA|accessdate=8 January 2018|language=en|date=27 October 2009}}</ref>
In the capital, [[Abidjan]], most of the prostitutes come from [[Ghana]], [[Nigeria]], [[Togo]], [[Mali]], [[Senegal]] and other West African states,<ref name="ency">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-5WyPfynlwMC&q=prostitution+in+ghana&pg=PA534|title=Encyclopedia of Prostitution and Sex Work|first=Melissa Hope|last=Ditmore|date=1 January 2006|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|access-date=8 January 2018|via=Google Books|isbn=9780313329708}}</ref> the largest group being from Ghana.<ref name="laval" /> Ivorian soldiers and UN Peacekeeping personnel are amongst the clients.<ref name="voa">{{cite web|title=Young West African Girls Face Perils of Prostitution, Trafficking|url=https://www.voanews.com/a/a-13-young-west-african-girls-face-perils-of-prostitution-and-trafficking-66383792/547929.html|website=VOA|access-date=8 January 2018|language=en|date=27 October 2009}}</ref>


In the cities, sex workers have started organisations to protect their interests. Often they cater for a particular ethnic group. Each organisation has a president and other officers, these are normally older prostitutes who are regarded as "wiser".<ref name="ency" />
In the cities, sex workers have started organisations to protect their interests. Often they cater for a particular ethnic group. Each organisation has a president and other officers, these are normally older prostitutes who are regarded as "wiser".<ref name="ency" />


Sex Tourism is also a problem in the Ivory Coast.<ref>{{cite news|title= Massaging the truth: Sexual tourism in Ivory Coast|publisher= [[Radio Netherlands]]|date=|url= http://www.rnw.nl/africa/article/massaging-truth-sexual-tourism-ivory-coast|accessdate=2012-10-12 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121220071135/http://www.rnw.nl/africa/article/massaging-truth-sexual-tourism-ivory-coast |archive-date= 20 December 2012 }}</ref><ref name="exploring">{{cite web|title=Earning a Living... - Blog from Mandanou, Cote D'Ivoire|url=https://www.offexploring.com/lydias-travels/blog/cote-divoire/mandanou/20150204220457|website=Off Exploring|accessdate=8 January 2018|language=en|date=4 February 2015}}</ref>
Sex Tourism is also a problem in the Ivory Coast.<ref>{{cite news|title= Massaging the truth: Sexual tourism in Ivory Coast|publisher= [[Radio Netherlands]]|url= http://www.rnw.nl/africa/article/massaging-truth-sexual-tourism-ivory-coast|access-date=12 October 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121220071135/http://www.rnw.nl/africa/article/massaging-truth-sexual-tourism-ivory-coast |archive-date= 20 December 2012 }}</ref><ref name="exploring">{{cite web|title=Earning a Living... - Blog from Mandanou, Cote D'Ivoire|url=https://www.offexploring.com/lydias-travels/blog/cote-divoire/mandanou/20150204220457|website=Off Exploring|access-date=8 January 2018|language=en|date=4 February 2015}}</ref>


==Local nomenclature==
==Local nomenclature==
* "Serpents" - In Abidjan, [[street prostitution|street walkers]] are known as "serpents" because of the hissing sounds they make to attract clients.<ref name="voa" /> ''Rue Pierre et Marie Curie'' in the city's [[red-light district]] of [[Marcory Zone 4]] is known locally as "Serpent Street".<ref name="jeune">{{cite web|last1=Duhem|first1=Vincent|title=Avis aux noctambules abidjanais : la Zone 4 est désormais à deux pas… de danse – JeuneAfrique.com|url=http://www.jeuneafrique.com/mag/245682/societe/avis-aux-noctambules-abidjanais-la-zone-4-est-desormais-a-deux-pas-de-danse/|website=Jeune Afrique|accessdate=8 January 2018|language=fr-FR|date=20 July 2015}}</ref>
* "Serpents" - In Abidjan, [[street prostitution|street walkers]] are known as "serpents" because of the hissing sounds they make to attract clients.<ref name="voa" /> ''Rue Pierre et Marie Curie'' in the city's [[red-light district]] of [[Marcory Zone 4]] is known locally as "Serpent Street".<ref name="jeune">{{cite web|last1=Duhem|first1=Vincent|title=Avis aux noctambules abidjanais : la Zone 4 est désormais à deux pas… de danse – JeuneAfrique.com|url=http://www.jeuneafrique.com/mag/245682/societe/avis-aux-noctambules-abidjanais-la-zone-4-est-desormais-a-deux-pas-de-danse/|website=Jeune Afrique|access-date=8 January 2018|language=fr-FR|date=20 July 2015}}</ref>
* "Dioula women" - Younger prostitutes originating from Mali. After a short stint working as prostitutes they become traders in local markets.<ref name="ency" />
* "Dioula women" - Younger prostitutes originating from Mali. After a short stint working as prostitutes they usually become traders in local markets.<ref name="ency" />
* "Karoua women" - Older [[Zarma people|Zarma]] or [[Hausa people|Hausa]] women, usually divorced, from Ghana.<ref name="ency" />
* "Karoua women" - Older [[Zarma people|Zarma]] or [[Hausa people|Hausa]] women, usually divorced, from Ghana.<ref name="ency" />
* "Evolue" - These women, from various countries in [[French West Africa]], seek clients in bars and nightclubs.<ref name="ency" />
* "Evolue" - These women, from various countries in [[French West Africa]], seek clients in bars and nightclubs.<ref name="ency" />
Line 18: Line 19:


==History==
==History==
Prior to the arrival of the Europeans, a form of institutional prostitution took place in the country. The political elite acquired women, usually slaves, to service the sexual needs of the unmarried males. They were initiated by religious rites and their earnings were controlled by the state. To distinguish them, they wore a cloth of white linen around their head. Married men were forbidden to use their services, and punishment was severe.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Harley|first1=ed. by Sharon|title=Women's labor in the global economy : speaking in multiple voices|date=2007|publisher=Rutgers Univ. Press|location=New Brunswick, NJ [u.a.]|isbn=978-0813540443|edition=[Online-Ausg.].}}</ref>
Prior to the arrival of the Europeans, a form of institutional prostitution known as {{Lang|tw|abrakree}} was prominent among the Southwest [[Akan people|Akan]] of the [[Gold Coast (region)|Gold]] and Ivory Coasts. The political elite acquired women, usually slaves, to service the sexual needs of the unmarried males. They were initiated by religious rites and their earnings were controlled by the state.<ref name=":ampofo the">{{cite journal | last=Ampofo | first=Akosua Adomako|author-link=Akosua Adomako Ampofo |title=The Sex Trade, Globalisation and Issues of Survival in Sub-Saharan Africa|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265142810| journal=Research Review of the Institute of African Studies|volume=17|issue=2 |pages= 27–43| year=2001|doi=10.4314/rrias.v17i2.22906|s2cid=11547603}}</ref> After a visit to [[Assinie-Mafia|Assini]]{{efn|Harley<ref name=":harley women"/> and Ampofo<ref name=":ampofo the"/> state that Assini was located on the Gold Coast but Acheampong<ref name=":Emma Sex"/> writes that it was located in Ivory Coast.}} in 1701, Jean Barbot documented that the abrakree in Assini distinguished themselves from other women by wearing a cloth of white linen around their head. Married men were forbidden to use their services, and punishment was severe.<ref name=":harley women">{{cite book|last1=Harley|first1=Sharon|title=Women's labor in the global economy : speaking in multiple voices|date=2007|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mTJK3LjpiLIC&q=severely+punnished|publisher=[[Rutgers University Press]]|location=New Brunswick, NJ [u.a.]|isbn=978-0813540443|edition=[Online-Ausg.].}}</ref><ref name=":Emma Sex">{{cite journal | last= Akyeampong| first=Emmanuel |author-link=Emmanuel K. Akyeampong|title=Sexuality and Prostitution among the Akan of the Gold Coast c. 1650-1950
| journal=[[Past & Present (journal)|Past & Present]]|volume=156|issue=1 |pages= 144–173 | year=1997|doi=10.1093/PAST/156.1.144|jstor=651181|s2cid=162885284}}</ref><ref name=":ampofo the"/>


In the 1960's, many [[France|French]] prostitutes came to the country, mainly from [[Paris]] and [[Marseilles]. They worked as barmaids at bars and nightclubs, predominately in Abidjan. They charged high fees, but the bar owner took a per-client "air conditioning" commission. Because of the high fees, clients were Europeans or elite Africans.<ref name="ency" />
In the 1960s, many [[France|French]] prostitutes came to the country, mainly from [[Paris]] and [[Marseilles]]. They worked as barmaids at bars and nightclubs, predominately in Abidjan. They charged high fees, but the bar owner took a per-client "air conditioning" commission. Because of the high fees, clients were Europeans or elite Africans.<ref name="ency" />


Ghanaian woman started to migrate to the Ivory Coast to work as prostitutes in the 1970's due to a downturn in the Ghanaian economy.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Kessler|first1=Justine L.|title=The Voices of Sex Workers (prostitutes?) and the Dilemma of Feminist Discourse|url=http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1721&context=etd|publisher=University of South Florida|accessdate=8 January 2018|date=28 April 2005}}</ref> This migration continued, and in the 1990's over half of the prostitutes in Abidjan were from Ghana.<ref name="laval">{{cite web|last1=Kouame|first1=K|title=[Migration and prostitution in the Abidjan region]|url=https://www.popline.org/node/295915|publisher=Laval University,|accessdate=8 January 2018|date=1994}}</ref>
Ghanaian woman started to migrate to the Ivory Coast to work as prostitutes in the 1970s due to a downturn in the Ghanaian economy.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Kessler|first1=Justine L.|title=The Voices of Sex Workers (prostitutes?) and the Dilemma of Feminist Discourse|url=http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1721&context=etd|publisher=University of South Florida|access-date=8 January 2018|date=28 April 2005}}</ref> This migration continued, and in the 1990s over half of the prostitutes in Abidjan were from Ghana.<ref name="laval">{{cite web|last1=Kouame|first1=K|title=[Migration and prostitution in the Abidjan region]|url=https://www.popline.org/node/295915|publisher=Laval University|access-date=8 January 2018|date=1994}}</ref>


==HIV==
⚫
==Human trafficking==
{{main|Human trafficking in Ivory Coast}}
{{main|HIV/AIDS in Ivory Coast}}
As with other countries in [[West Africa]], Ivory Coast has an [[HIV]] epidemic.<ref name=us>[http://www.pepfar.gov/pepfar/press/81552.htm "2008 Country Profile: Cote d'Ivoire"]. [[U.S. Department of State]] (2008).</ref> Sex workers are a high risk group, and [[condom]] use was previously not common,<ref>{{cite web|last1=Huband|first1=Mark|title=Ivory Coast prostitutes at centre of Aids web - Mark Huband|url=http://www.markhuband.com/ivory-coast-prostitutes-at-centre-of-aids-web/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180109235613/http://www.markhuband.com/ivory-coast-prostitutes-at-centre-of-aids-web/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=9 January 2018|work=The Guardian|access-date=9 January 2018|date=19 July 1991}}</ref> leading to 70% of sex workers in Abidjan being HIV positive in 1995.<ref name="usaid">{{cite web|title=Côte d'Ivoire and HIV/AIDS |url=http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/Pnacp171.pdf| publisher=USAID |access-date=9 January 2018 |date=June 1999}}{{PD-notice}}</ref> Aggressive public outreach campaigns and education interventions targeted key high-risk populations, such as sex workers, which brought the infection rate down to 40% in 1998.<ref name="usaid" />
⚫
Ivory Coast is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children subjected to [[sex trafficking]]. Trafficking within the country is more prevalent than transnational trafficking, and the majority of identified victims are children. Due to a stronger emphasis on monitoring and combating child trafficking within the country, the prevalence of adult trafficking may be under reported. Ivoirian women and girls are primarily subjected to forced labor in domestic service and restaurants in Cote d’Ivoire but are also exploited in sex trafficking.<ref name="state16" /> Some women and girls recruited from Ghana and Nigeria<ref name="seattle">{{cite web|last1=Motshegwa|first1=Lesego|title=Nigeria teens sold for prostitution in Ivory Coast|url=https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nigeria-teens-sold-for-prostitution-in-ivory-coast/|website=The Seattle Times|accessdate=8 January 2018|date=28 August 2010}}</ref> as waitresses are subjected to sex trafficking.<ref name="state16" /> Officials note illegal Ivoirian migrants in [[Algeria]] are vulnerable to trafficking due to their irregular and illegal status. A lack of comprehensive data on trafficking in Cote d’Ivoire renders the full scope of the problem unknown.<ref name="state16">{{cite web|title=Cote d'Ivoire 2016 Trafficking in Persons Report|url=https://www.state.gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt/countries/2016/258750.htm|website=U.S. Department of State|accessdate=8 January 2018}}{{PD-notice}}</ref>


Continued campaigns, education, condom distribution and access to better health care brought the HIV prevalence amongst sex workers down to 26.6% in 2011,<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Vuylsteke|first1=Bea|last2=Semdé|first2=Gisèle|last3=Sika|first3=Lazare|last4=Crucitti|first4=Tania|last5=Traoré|first5=Virginie Ettiègne|last6=Buvé|first6=Anne|last7=Laga|first7=Marie|title=HIV and STI Prevalence among Female Sex Workers in Côte d'Ivoire: Why Targeted Prevention Programs Should Be Continued and Strengthened|journal=PLOS ONE|volume=7|issue=3|pages=e32627|doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0032627|pmid=22403685|pmc=3293836|date=5 March 2012|bibcode=2012PLoSO...732627V|doi-access=free}}</ref> and 11% in 2016.<ref>{{cite web |title=HIV prevalence amongst sex workers |url=http://www.aidsinfoonline.org/gam/stock/shared/vc/vcshare.html?id=d9c0ff12-f62c-44e7-8e2c-dbe736bbea30 |website=www.aidsinfoonline.org |publisher=UNAIDS |access-date=22 July 2018 |date=2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180722130109/http://www.aidsinfoonline.org/gam/stock/shared/vc/vcshare.html?id=d9c0ff12-f62c-44e7-8e2c-dbe736bbea30 |archive-date=22 July 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
The [[United States Department of State]] [[Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons]] ranks Ivory Coast as a Tier 2 Watch List country.<ref name="state16" />


⚫
==Sex trafficking==
{{see also|Human trafficking in Ivory Coast}}
⚫
Ivory Coast is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children subjected to [[sex trafficking]]. Trafficking within the country is more prevalent than transnational trafficking, and the majority of identified victims are children. Due to a stronger emphasis on monitoring and combating child trafficking within the country, the prevalence of adult trafficking may be under reported. Ivorian women and girls are primarily subjected to forced labor in domestic service and restaurants in Côte d'Ivoire but are also exploited in sex trafficking.<ref name="state16" /> Some women and girls recruited from Ghana and Nigeria<ref name="seattle">{{cite web|last1=Motshegwa|first1=Lesego|title=Nigeria teens sold for prostitution in Ivory Coast|url=https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nigeria-teens-sold-for-prostitution-in-ivory-coast/|website=The Seattle Times|access-date=8 January 2018|date=28 August 2010}}</ref> as waitresses are subjected to sex trafficking.<ref name="state16" /> Officials note illegal Ivorian migrants in [[Algeria]] are vulnerable to trafficking due to their irregular and illegal status. A lack of comprehensive data on trafficking in Côte d'Ivoire renders the full scope of the problem unknown.<ref name="state16">{{cite web|title=Cote d'Ivoire 2016 Trafficking in Persons Report|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt/countries/2016/258750.htm|website=U.S. Department of State|access-date=8 January 2018}}{{PD-notice}}</ref>

The [[United States Department of State]] [[Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons]] ranks Ivory Coast as a [[Trafficking in Persons Report#Ranking System|Tier 2]] country.<ref name="state18">{{cite web |title=Cote d'Ivoire 2018 Trafficking in Persons Report |url=https://www.state.gov/reports/2018-trafficking-in-persons-report/cote-divoire/ |website=U.S. Department of State |access-date=29 July 2018}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}
==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


==Further reading==
==Further reading==
*{{cite book|last1=Du Bois|first1=Victor D.|title=Prostitution in the Ivory Coast: A social problem and its treatment|date=1967|publisher=American Universities Field Staff|url=https://www.amazon.com/Prostitution-Ivory-Coast-problem-treatment/dp/B0007ETPQ4|language=English}}
*{{cite book|last1=Du Bois|first1=Victor D.|title=Prostitution in the Ivory Coast: A social problem and its treatment|date=1967|publisher=American Universities Field Staff|url=https://www.amazon.com/Prostitution-Ivory-Coast-problem-treatment/dp/B0007ETPQ4|language=en}}


{{Africa in topic|Prostitution in}}
{{Africa in topic|Prostitution in}}
{{Ivory Coast topics}}


[[Category:Prostitution by country|Ivory Coast]]
[[Category:Prostitution in Ivory Coast| ]]
[[Category:Ivorian society]]
[[Category:Society of Ivory Coast]]
[[Category:Prostitution in Africa|Ivory Coast]]

{{Coted'Ivoire-stub}}

Latest revision as of 05:32, 21 December 2024

Prostitution in Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire) is legal, but associated activities, such as soliciting, pandering or running brothels, are illegal.[1][2] Sex workers report law enforcement is sparse and corrupt. Police sometimes harass sex workers and demand bribes or sexual favours.[1][2] Transgender prostitutes are often targeted by police and soldiers and subjected to violence.[3] It was estimated in 2014 that there were 9,211 prostitutes in the country.[4]

The civil war has left many women in need for wages, so some have resorted to prostitution, as there is high unemployment.[5][6]

In the capital, Abidjan, most of the prostitutes come from Ghana, Nigeria, Togo, Mali, Senegal and other West African states,[7] the largest group being from Ghana.[8] Ivorian soldiers and UN Peacekeeping personnel are amongst the clients.[6]

In the cities, sex workers have started organisations to protect their interests. Often they cater for a particular ethnic group. Each organisation has a president and other officers, these are normally older prostitutes who are regarded as "wiser".[7]

Sex Tourism is also a problem in the Ivory Coast.[9][10]

Local nomenclature

[edit]
  • "Serpents" - In Abidjan, street walkers are known as "serpents" because of the hissing sounds they make to attract clients.[6] Rue Pierre et Marie Curie in the city's red-light district of Marcory Zone 4 is known locally as "Serpent Street".[11]
  • "Dioula women" - Younger prostitutes originating from Mali. After a short stint working as prostitutes they usually become traders in local markets.[7]
  • "Karoua women" - Older Zarma or Hausa women, usually divorced, from Ghana.[7]
  • "Evolue" - These women, from various countries in French West Africa, seek clients in bars and nightclubs.[7]
  • "TouTou" - Coming from the British West African states, these women are mainly street prostitutes. The name is derived from 'two shillings, two pence'; a prostitute who doesn't charge much.[7]

History

[edit]

Prior to the arrival of the Europeans, a form of institutional prostitution known as abrakree was prominent among the Southwest Akan of the Gold and Ivory Coasts. The political elite acquired women, usually slaves, to service the sexual needs of the unmarried males. They were initiated by religious rites and their earnings were controlled by the state.[12] After a visit to Assini[a] in 1701, Jean Barbot documented that the abrakree in Assini distinguished themselves from other women by wearing a cloth of white linen around their head. Married men were forbidden to use their services, and punishment was severe.[13][14][12]

In the 1960s, many French prostitutes came to the country, mainly from Paris and Marseilles. They worked as barmaids at bars and nightclubs, predominately in Abidjan. They charged high fees, but the bar owner took a per-client "air conditioning" commission. Because of the high fees, clients were Europeans or elite Africans.[7]

Ghanaian woman started to migrate to the Ivory Coast to work as prostitutes in the 1970s due to a downturn in the Ghanaian economy.[15] This migration continued, and in the 1990s over half of the prostitutes in Abidjan were from Ghana.[8]

HIV

[edit]
Main article: HIV/AIDS in Ivory Coast

As with other countries in West Africa, Ivory Coast has an HIV epidemic.[16] Sex workers are a high risk group, and condom use was previously not common,[17] leading to 70% of sex workers in Abidjan being HIV positive in 1995.[18] Aggressive public outreach campaigns and education interventions targeted key high-risk populations, such as sex workers, which brought the infection rate down to 40% in 1998.[18]

Continued campaigns, education, condom distribution and access to better health care brought the HIV prevalence amongst sex workers down to 26.6% in 2011,[19] and 11% in 2016.[20]

Sex trafficking

[edit]
See also: Human trafficking in Ivory Coast

Ivory Coast is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children subjected to sex trafficking. Trafficking within the country is more prevalent than transnational trafficking, and the majority of identified victims are children. Due to a stronger emphasis on monitoring and combating child trafficking within the country, the prevalence of adult trafficking may be under reported. Ivorian women and girls are primarily subjected to forced labor in domestic service and restaurants in Côte d'Ivoire but are also exploited in sex trafficking.[21] Some women and girls recruited from Ghana and Nigeria[22] as waitresses are subjected to sex trafficking.[21] Officials note illegal Ivorian migrants in Algeria are vulnerable to trafficking due to their irregular and illegal status. A lack of comprehensive data on trafficking in Côte d'Ivoire renders the full scope of the problem unknown.[21]

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

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Harley[13] and Ampofo[12] state that Assini was located on the Gold Coast but Acheampong[14] writes that it was located in Ivory Coast.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Sex Work Law - Countries". Sexuality, Poverty and Law. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  2. ^ a b "2008 Human Rights Report: Cote d'Ivoire". United States Department of State. 25 February 2009. Archived from the original on 26 February 2009. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
  3. ^ Corey-Boulet, Robbie (12 October 2012). "Transgender prostitutes face abuse in Ivory Coast". Taiwan News. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  4. ^ "Sex workers: Population size estimate - Number, 2016". www.aidsinfoonline.org. UNAIDS. Archived from the original on 4 June 2019. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  5. ^ "2006 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices " Africa " Cote d'Ivoire". United States Department of State. 6 March 2007. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
  6. ^ a b c "Young West African Girls Face Perils of Prostitution, Trafficking". VOA. 27 October 2009. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Ditmore, Melissa Hope (1 January 2006). Encyclopedia of Prostitution and Sex Work. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 9780313329708. Retrieved 8 January 2018 – via Google Books.
  8. ^ a b Kouame, K (1994). "[Migration and prostitution in the Abidjan region]". Laval University. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  9. ^ "Massaging the truth: Sexual tourism in Ivory Coast". Radio Netherlands. Archived from the original on 20 December 2012. Retrieved 12 October 2012.
  10. ^ "Earning a Living... - Blog from Mandanou, Cote D'Ivoire". Off Exploring. 4 February 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  11. ^ Duhem, Vincent (20 July 2015). "Avis aux noctambules abidjanais : la Zone 4 est désormais à deux pas… de danse – JeuneAfrique.com". Jeune Afrique (in French). Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  12. ^ a b c Ampofo, Akosua Adomako (2001). "The Sex Trade, Globalisation and Issues of Survival in Sub-Saharan Africa". Research Review of the Institute of African Studies. 17 (2): 27–43. doi:10.4314/rrias.v17i2.22906. S2CID 11547603.
  13. ^ a b Harley, Sharon (2007). Women's labor in the global economy : speaking in multiple voices ([Online-Ausg.]. ed.). New Brunswick, NJ [u.a.]: Rutgers University Press. ISBN 978-0813540443.
  14. ^ a b Akyeampong, Emmanuel (1997). "Sexuality and Prostitution among the Akan of the Gold Coast c. 1650-1950". Past & Present. 156 (1): 144–173. doi:10.1093/PAST/156.1.144. JSTOR 651181. S2CID 162885284.
  15. ^ Kessler, Justine L. (28 April 2005). "The Voices of Sex Workers (prostitutes?) and the Dilemma of Feminist Discourse". University of South Florida. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  16. ^ "2008 Country Profile: Cote d'Ivoire". U.S. Department of State (2008).
  17. ^ Huband, Mark (19 July 1991). "Ivory Coast prostitutes at centre of Aids web - Mark Huband". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 9 January 2018. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
  18. ^ a b "Côte d'Ivoire and HIV/AIDS" (PDF). USAID. June 1999. Retrieved 9 January 2018.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  19. ^ Vuylsteke, Bea; Semdé, Gisèle; Sika, Lazare; Crucitti, Tania; Traoré, Virginie Ettiègne; Buvé, Anne; Laga, Marie (5 March 2012). "HIV and STI Prevalence among Female Sex Workers in Côte d'Ivoire: Why Targeted Prevention Programs Should Be Continued and Strengthened". PLOS ONE. 7 (3): e32627. Bibcode:2012PLoSO...732627V. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0032627. PMC 3293836. PMID 22403685.
  20. ^ "HIV prevalence amongst sex workers". www.aidsinfoonline.org. UNAIDS. 2016. Archived from the original on 22 July 2018. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  21. ^ a b c "Cote d'Ivoire 2016 Trafficking in Persons Report". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 8 January 2018.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  22. ^ Motshegwa, Lesego (28 August 2010). "Nigeria teens sold for prostitution in Ivory Coast". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  23. ^ "Cote d'Ivoire 2018 Trafficking in Persons Report". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 29 July 2018.

Further reading

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