Migrant Children and Survival Sex

This study looks at the risk behaviours of migrant children engaged in survival sex around the World Cup period and immediately after in one of the host cities and in one border area of South Africa. The objectives of the research are to:

  • Identify risk behaviour patterns of migrant children engaged in survival sex around the World Cup period;
  • Identify the existing access they have to services such as health services;
  • Develop recommendations on how child protection and HIV prevention efforts can address the needs of migrant children engaging in survival sex; and
  • Provide information for the development of awareness raising materials targeted at this group of children.

Background

International sporting events are increasing in frequency and magnitude, bringing with it it’s own problems. It is estimated that the FIFA World Cup will bring 450 000 visitors to South Africa in 2010 – the country with the highest number of people with HIV in the world. Surprisingly little research has been conducted into the demand and supply of paid sex during big sporting events , and where the topic has been explored, the focus tends to fall on human trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation. A recent report setting out recommendations for the 2010 Winter Olympics to be held in Vancouver, Canada, reviewed the available data and found that “[t]he commonly held notion of a link between mega sports events, TIP (Trafficking in Persons) and sex work is an unsubstantiated assumption.” . As evidenced by the media hype over trafficking in Germany during the 2006 World Cup , however, the sensationalism associated with human trafficking often dwarfs the more mundane, everyday concerns of consensual, adult sex work and the involvement of young children engaging in sex as a strategy for survival– demand which may increase in host countries during big sporting events. Anecdotal evidence shows that demand for paid sex during the Germany World Cup period may have increased slightly, but was minute in relation to the fears generated before the Games. One report noted the following reasons for the lack of demand:

With regard to the fans, many experts noted, that the World Cup had not been a predominantly male event. There had been many mixed groups, couples and families. In general, interest in football and party seem to have prevailed. Further, it was pointed out that there were many low-budget tourists among the fans, who had just enough money for tickets and transport. The hot weather was also mentioned by two experts as a factor that decreased the demand for sexual services in general.

Research on sex work in South Africa and the region is limited. Partly because sex work in South Africa is illegal and highly stigmatised, little information or research exists on the number of sex workers in South Africa, where they come from and what their migrancy patterns are. The research that is available mostly focuses on adults and is urban based. Systematic research conducted in Cape Town in 2008 found that 5% of indoor sex workers were “foreign”. Research from Hillbrow in 1998 showed that a relatively small percentage of sex workers in Hillbrow were from other countries – only 11%. Current anecdotal evidence points to a much larger proportion of Hillbrow sex workers originating from countries outside of South Africa. The Hillbrow study found that 64.9% of sex workers in Hillbrow migrated there from other provinces. The link between sex work and migrancy has been well established in the literature (Various authors, 2002; Bujra, 1975; Busza, 2004; Karnataka Health Promotion Trust and Population Council., 2008; Agustin, 2007). There is however limited information on migrant children engaging in sex as a survival strategy.

UNICEF has identified this critical gap in information on sex workers particularly among migrant children who often find themselves in exploitative sexual relationship as a means of survival. This proposal is a response to a call from UNICEF to conduct a study looking at the risk behaviours of migrant children engaged in survival sex around the World Cup period and immediately after in one of the host cities and in one border area of South Africa.

Project partner: UNICEF