Prostitution in Benin

Prostitution in Benin is legal but related activities such as brothel keeping and benefiting from the prostitution of others are illegal.[1] UNAIDS estimates there to be about 15,000 prostitutes in the country.[2] Most of these are migrants from neighbouring countries, mainly Nigeria, Togo and Ghana. Only 15% of the prostitutes are Beninese.[3] Prostitution occurs on the streets, in bars, restaurants, hotels and brothels.[3] With advent of the smartphone, many prostitutes use apps to make arrangements with clients.[4]

Many women enter prostitution for economic reasons. Some young Beninese women learn English so they can go to Nigeria to work as prostitutes as Nigeria has a thriving sex industry.[3]

In rural areas widows will discreetly turn to prostitution to support her family. This is a cultural and social tradition that is not regarded as prostitution by the community, but is regarded as a method of preserving the family name. Any children born from these liaisons take the dead husband's name. It's not uncommon for a widow to have five children after her husband has died.[3]

HIV,[5] sex trafficking and child sex tourism are problems in the country.[6]

  1. ^ "The Legal Status of Prostitution by Country". ChartsBin. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  2. ^ "Sex workers: Population size estimate - Number, 2016". www.aidsinfoonline.org. UNAIDS. Archived from the original on 4 April 2019. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  3. ^ a b c d Kroone, Maria Huberta. "Prostitution in Benin, Benin (West-Africa)" (PDF). Stichting Aktie Benin (SAB). Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  4. ^ Khalil, Fawaz (6 July 2017). "Au Bénin, le racolage passe désormais par les smartphones". Le Monde.fr (in French). Retrieved 27 February 2018.
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  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference state17 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).