WUNRN
Human Rights Without Frontiers
Male Demand for
Prostitution
By Gisèle Poinier and Willy Fautré, Human Rights Without Frontiers
Accurately measuring and assessing the perverseness of
demand in the sex trade is highly challenging.
Research attempting to assess the scope of male demand for prostitution
is very limited. Acquiring actual statistics to gain an understanding of just
how many men worldwide purchase sex is virtually impossible. Mainly, research estimates are based on male
self-reporting, and empirical data are developed on limited study samples
sizes. Moreover, eliciting reliable and
truthful self-reporting information from male study participants can be highly
problematic due to the stigma and covert nature of the act of purchasing sexual
services. It is important to note that
another significant factor regarding the deficit in research and statistics is
that up to now the focus has been mainly placed on the so-called
"supply," the victims of sexual exploitation, while the perpetrators,
or male demand, have remained invisible and without scrutiny.[1][1]
Despite the fact that statistics on the male demand for prostitution are limited, it has been widely documented that the sexual exploitation of women through the global prostitution and human trafficking sex trade generates an estimated 34 billion USD annually.[2][2] Clearly, the multibillion dollar sex trade industry can only be produced and sustained from monies spent by men who procure sex, the demand. These enormous figures suggest that the worldwide demand and amount of men who exploit women through prostitution is immeasurable. Therefore, it should be taken into consideration that published reports containing empirical data on the approximation of the number of male sex purchasers are considerably underestimated.
Demand
in Some European Countries
In several European countries, some studies suggest the number of males who purchase prostitution ranges between about 10-20 percent. A 2009 United Kingdom Report, Tackling the demand for prostitution: a rapid evidence assessment of the published evidence literature, from the University of Huddersfield reviewed a variety of UK studies on prostitution to ascertain the frequency of male demand for prostitution in the UK.[3][3] One 2006 study estimated that between 2.2 and 10.6 million UK men purchase sexual services.[4][4] A second study estimated that in the UK, 64 million commercial sex transactions take place annually.[5][5] Farley, Bindel and Golding (2009) conducted a study, Men who buy sex: who they buy and what they know, that sampled 103 UK male sex purchasers. Farley et al. (2009) found that of the 96% of UK men who purchased sex from indoor facilities, many admitted they were aware of pimping, trafficking and other coercive control over the prostituted women they purchased in massage parlors, brothels, and escort agencies. Fifty-five percent of the UK male participants believed that a majority of women in prostitution were lured, tricked or trafficked. However, this belief did not deter them from purchasing sex from victimized women were aware of pimping, trafficking and other coercive control over the prostituted women they purchased in massage parlors, brothels, and escort agencies. Fifty-five percent of the UK male participants believed that a majority of women in prostitution were lured, tricked or trafficked. However, this belief did not deter them from purchasing sex from victimized women.[6][6]
In Italy it has been reported that 1 out of 6, or 17%, of Italian men are prostitution purchasers. This figure translates into an estimated 9 million men using 50,000 women for prostitution. In addition, German reports suggest that 18% of males in Germany purchase sex regularly.[7][7]
Demand in Some Asian Countries
Reported statistics on demand in Asia tend to far exceed that of Europe. This can perhaps be attributed to differing societal attitudes towards prostitution and women from men in Asian countries, or a decreased stigma associated with the male purchase of sexual services.
Brown (2000) reports in Thailand that a US Agency for National Development study found that 75% of Thai men purchase sex. Similar numbers are found in Cambodia, as an estimated 60% to 70% of Cambodian men are reported to procure women for sexual services.[8][8]
The high demand
from Korean males to purchase sexual
service and participate in the sex tourism industry has also been documented.
The Korean Times reported (2005), in 2004, the number of Koreans who traveled to Cambodia was 12.7 percent or
128,423, the largest number in the total tourist population visiting Cambodia.
These large numbers have been attributed to the increasing demand and number of
Korean men participating in the sexual tourism trade. In addition, the Korean Times reported (2005)
an increasing number of Korean men travel to the Philippines to procure sex and
the Philippine government has urged
the Korean government to take firm action against sexual tourism and soliciting
prostitution, particularly buying sex from children. This increase in Korean
tourism to Cambodia may significantly contribute to the boosting sex trade
industry and human trafficking in Cambodia.[9][9]
Legalization of Prostitution and Demand
The increase in demand for prostitution in countries that have legalized prostitution such as the Netherlands and Australia has been widely documented. Since the legalization of prostitution in Victoria (Australia), demand for prostitution has involvedsome 60,000 male prostitution buyers spending 7 million dollars each week, in a population of only 3.5 million.[10][10] Australia has experienced a massive expansion of the sex trade industry, which has facilitated and accommodated demand since legalization.[11][11] According to Amanda Kloer[12][12], "Today, only 10% of the prostitution industry operates in Australia's legal brothels; the other 90% takes place in underground, illegal sex markets thick with forced prostitution and human trafficking victims."After the 1995 legalization of prostitution in New South Wales, brothels tripled in number by 1999 and expanded in size. It is reported that these large numbers are indicative of the enormous demand and mainstream nature of the sex trade which has occurred since the legalization of prostitution in Australia.[13][13]
In the Netherlands, the 2000 legalization of prostitution has reportedly increased demand to such a level that the sex trade has more than tripled in size and as of 2002 it became a 1 billion dollar per year industry.[14][14] In 2004, a commission found organized crime's control of prostitution had only increased since legalization.[15][15] Over the past decade demand for prostitution in the Netherlands' legalized liberal forum has created a mecca for criminal enterprises and traffickers to financially flourish. City officials in Amsterdam have had to close huge sections of its red-light district due to infiltration by organized crime.[16][16] In 2008, the city proposed initiatives to reduce the number of sex window brothels from 482 to 243.[17][17] The Mayor, Job Cohen, stated"We've realized this is no longer about small-scale entrepreneurs, but that big crime organizations are involved here in trafficking women, drugs, killings and other criminal activities."[18][18]
The demand in Germany has also increased dramatically since legalization and produces similar billion dollar annual profits. The legalization and promotion of prostitution by the Netherlands, Germany and Australian governments has created a haven for human traffickers, who operate undetected and are able to remain hidden and secure enormous profits within the legalized prostitution industry.[19][19] It is estimated that 70%-80% of the prostituted women in the Netherlands, Australia and Germany are trafficked human beings.[20][20]
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[1][1]Durchslag, R. & Goswami, S. Deconstructing the demand for
prostitution: preliminary insights from interviews with Chicago men who
purchase sex. Chicogo Alliance Against
Sexual Exploitation. (May 2008).
1-24
see http://www.chicagohomeless.org/files/images/Deconstructing_the_Demand_For_Prostitution.pdf; Raymond (2004). See footnote 1.
[2][2]United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNOFDC). Trafficking in persons: global patterns. (April 2006). 1-124. See http://www.unodc.org/pdf/traffickinginpersons_report_2006ver2.pdf
[3][3] Wilcox, A., Christmann, K.., Rogerson, M., and Birch, P. University of Huddersfield Tackling the demand for prostitution: a rapid evidence assessment of the published evidence literature. University of Huddersfield and Home Office. (December 2009) 1-56. See http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs09/horr27c.pdf
[4][4] Kinnell, H. Clients of female sex works: men or monsters? (2006) Chapter 9 in Sex work now. Cambell, R. and O'Neill, M. (Eds). Willan. Cited in Wilcox et al., (December 2009). See footnote 9.
[5][5]Kinnell, H. (2006). Cited in Wilcox et al. (December 2009). See endnote 9.
[6][6]Farley, M., Bindel, J. & Golding, J., M. Men who buy sex: who they buy and what they know. EAVES, London and Prostitution Research and Education, San Fransico. (December 2009) 1-32.
See http://www.eaves4women.co.uk/Documents/Recent_Reports/Men%20Who%20Buy%20Sex.pdf
[7][7]Raymond, G. J., (October 2004). see endnote 1.
[8][8]Brown, L. (2000). Sex slaves: The trafficking of women in Asia. London: Virago. Cited in Raymond, J. G., (October 2004). See endnote 1.
[9][9] Ah-young, C. More Koreans Buy Sex Abroad. The Korea Times (October 31, 2005). Retreived from Human trafficking.org. see http://www.humantrafficking.org/updates/265ki
[10][10]Raymond, J. G. (2004). see endnote 1.
[11][11]Joe-Cannon, I. Primer on the male demand for prostitution. Coalition Against Trafficking in Women. (2006) 1-22. see http://action.web.ca/home/catw/attach/PRIMER.pdf
[12][12] "Legal prostitution in Australia, a failure », 18 August 2009. See: http://humantrafficking.change.org/blog/view/legal_prostitution_in_australia_a_failure
[13][13]Raymond G. J., (2004). see endnote 1.
[14][14] Hughes, D. M. Demand: the driving force of human trafficing. The human rights challenge of globalization in Asian-pacific-US: the trafficking in persons, especially women and children, Gobalization Research Center, University of Hawaii at Manoa and the east-west center, Hawaii Convention center, honolulu. University of Rhode Island .(13-15 November 2002) University of Rhode Island.
[15][15]Casciani, B., Prostitution: International answers. BBC News. (16 July 2004. See http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3900361.stm
[16][16] Perrin, B. Legalizing sex trade isn't the answer. The Edmonton Journal. UBC, Faculty of Law Vancouver. (1 December 2006 ). see http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/Legalizing+trade+answer/2535661/story.html
[17][17]Amsterdam to cut brothels by half. BBC News. (6 December 2008). See http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7769199.stm
[18][18] Simons, M. Amsterdam Tries Upscale Fix for Red-Light District Crime. The New York Times. (24 February 2008). see http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/24/world/europe/24amsterdam.html?_r=2
[19][19] Hughes, D. M. (2004). see endnote 19.
[20][20]Raymond, J. G. (2004). see endnote 1;Hughes, D. M. (2004). see endnote 19.