The Prostitution Industry

The Prostitution Industry

A prostitute is defined by the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary as “a person who offers herself / himself for sexual intercourse for money.” Legally, prostitution is the sale of sexual services. The services may consist of any sexual acts, including those which do not involve copulation. While payment may be any nonsexual consideration, most commonly it is in the form of money.

In what seems to be a world historical pattern, an upsurge in prostitution followed the effects of urbanization and wage labor. In Africa and Latin America this trend was heightened by industrial development, which greatly accelerated extensive displacement of people from traditional kinship ties. Women often supplemented their low wages with occasional prostitution, or, in the absence of employment, turned to prostitution as full-time work.

Although a persistent phenomenon throughout human history, it remains difficult to view prostitution in an objective light as various cultures have alternately tried to ban it on religious or moralistic grounds, or stigmatize it under a “don’t-ask-don’t-tell” sort of veneer which was a barely-tolerated but necessary evil of society. It is interesting to note that despite an increasingly secularized attitude towards sexual relationships, as seen in society’s increasing tolerance of homosexuality or pre-marital sex, prostitution retains much of its social stigma.

TYPES OF PROSTITUTION

Street prostitution is the most common form of prostitution. It occurs when the prostitute solicits customers while waiting at street corners or walking alongside a street usually dressed in skimpy, suggestive clothing. This can be seen on Koinage Street in Nairobi.

A variation of this is where prostitution is more open and solicitation is done at bars. Examples of this in Kenya can be seen at Florida 2000, Modern Green on Latema Road and Sabina Joy Bar and restaurant.

Brothels are establishments specifically dedicated to prostitution and are usually confined to red-light districts in big cities. The clients usually go to these brothels to get sexual services.

Escort or out-call prostitution often shelters under the umbrella of escort agencies, who supply attractive escorts for social occasions. In this form of prostitution the customer calls/contacts an agency and the act takes place at the client’s...

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... who enter into prostitution. The prostitutes who enter the profession as a means of survival sometimes have no other option. But, if they have access to funds from micro-finance institutions, they may be able to start up small businesses to sustain their livelihood.

REFERENCES

• Ferrell et al. Business Ethics: Ethical Decision Making and Cases, 6th Ed. (Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Co., 2005)

• Snow Joyce, The Prostitute’s Collective of Victoria. The Age, 28th Feb. 1999

• Brothel Boom: The Asian Connection, Sydney. Morning Herald, 31st Aug. 1999

• Liberator, Mark (Dec 21st 2004). Legalized Prostitution: Regulating the Oldest Profession. Available at: http://www.liberator.net/articles/prostitution.html

• Laubenfels de, John (Aug 20th 2002). Defending Prostitution. Available at: http://www.strike-the-root.com/columns/deLaubenfels/delaubenfels25.html

• The Economist (Sep 2nd 2004). Sex is their Business. Available at: http://www.economist.com/opinion/displayStory.cfm?story_id=3151258

• Karuoya Njoki, The Nation, 18th Dec., 1999

• Davis Karin, Associated Press, 18th Nov. 1997

• Kwamechetsi Makokha, The Nation, 20th Oct. 2000