The State Of Prostitution In Haiti

With the weak economy and poor living conditions in Haiti, many women, including teenagers, have settled to becoming prostitutes just to earn. Prostitution is illegal in the country but this does not stop women from getting paid for sex. Since the 1940s, prostitution rings have been active in the country and it only got worse as time went by and catastrophes hit the Caribbean nation.

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According to a report in 2005, Haitian children were being trafficked in the Dominican Republic, where they were forced to work as slaves or prostitutes. Many of these children were orphaned, while others can no longer be supported and fed by their parents. As a result, they are brought to the Dominican Republic and sold to families and individuals looking for a child laborer. There were reports that the trafficked children have been physically abused too and some were so traumatized they can not recall how they got to that situation.

The devastating earthquake in Haiti in 2010 also worsened the prostitution in the country. There are reports showing women and teenagers working in Port-au-Prince as prostitutes because their lives were greatly affected by the disaster. Some are as young as 16 years old. One of their common reasons for entering such an activity is poverty. They said that they have no other choice but to sleep with strangers in exchange for money, which they use to buy food.

There are organizations trying to address the problem of prostitution in the country. However, they face a tough challenge because poverty, weak economy and lack of places to live in force girls to continue to ask money for sex.

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Read more: economy, poverty, Sex, child, Slave, Abuse, Woman, Prostitution, Teen, Child Trafficking, Sex Slave, Orphan, Restavek, Business & Finance

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