THE PERCEIVED EFFECT OF FEMALE PROSTITUTIONS: A CASE STUDY OF OREDO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF EDO STATE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Sometimes called “the world’s oldest profession”, prostitution has been around in some form or another since the dawn of written history. In many ancient cultures female prostitution was an accepted profession for many women, especially those who could not earn a living any other way-husbands killed in war or died from laboring. It wasn’t until church especially the Christian church decided that sex was bad that prostitution become a ‘sordid’ form of employment. Even then, on and off, prostitution and brothel enjoyed varying levels of acceptance in the public eye. Some cities and towns had entire ‘red light districts where brothels were, if not welcomed, at least tolerated so long as the owners and management madder their donations to the local law enforcement. Thus, while strictly illegal, the proliferation of prostitution enabled police corruption to flourish as well. In western society, there has always been a two faced, rather double standard towards prostitution. Men who publicly railed against pointed women and touted morality and decency were also the prime customers of many madams and prostitutes. When prostitution is illegal, standards for cleanliness and safety are difficult to carry out or enforce and also leads to the rise of pimps (a man who controls prostitutes and loves on the money that they earn) to manage and control the individual prostitute, paying off the police and controlling their “turf”. When prostitution is legalized and regulated through standards, the women are safer and cleaner parts of Nevada have legalized brothels, and the world hasn’t come to an end yet from it.

The world prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms including “John” prostitution is one of the branches of sex industry. The legal status of prostitution varies from country to country, from being a punishable crime to a regulated profession. Estimates place the annual revenue generated from the global prostitution industry to be over 100 billion. Prostitution is sometimes referred to as “the world’s oldest profession. Prostitution occurs in a variety of forms. Brothels are establishments specifically dedicated to prostitution. In escort prostitution, the act may take place at the customers’ residence or hotel room (referred to as out-call) or at the escort’ residence (called in-call). Another form in street prostitution. Sex tourism refers to traveling, typically from developed to under-developed nations of one type of human trafficking is defined as using coercion or force to transport an unwilling person into prostitution or other sexual exploitation.

Prostitute is defined from the Latin prostitute. Some sources cite the verb as a composition of “pro” meaning “up front” or “forward” and “situere” defined as to off up for sale. Another exploitation is that prostitute is a composition of pro and stature (to cause to stand to station place erect). A literal translation therefore would be to put up front for sale or to place forward. The online Etymology Dictionary states, “the notion of sex for hire is not inherent in the etymology, which rather suggests one exposed to lust or sex indiscriminately offered. The word prostitute was then carried down through various languages to the present day western society. Most sex worker activists group reject the word prostitute and since the late 1970s have used the term sex work instead. However, a sex worker can also mean anyone who works within the sex industry or whose work is of a sex nature and is not limited solely to prostitutes. In the early 17th century, there was widespread male and female prostitution throughout the cities of Isyoto, Edo and Osaka, Japan. Oiran were Courtesaus in Japan during the Edo period. The Oiran were considered a type of Yojo “woman of pleasure” or prostitute. Among the Oiran the Taju was considered the highest rank of courtesan available only to the wealthiest and highest rank of courtesaus available only to the wealthiest and highest ranking men. To entertain their client, Oiran practiced the arts of dance, music, poetry, and calligraphy as well as sexual services, and educated with was considered essential for sophisticated conversation. Many became celebrities of their times outside the pleasure district. Their art and fashion often set trends among wealthy women. The last recorded Oiran was in (1961). Although illegal in modern Japan, the definition of prostitution does not extend to a private reached between a woman and man in a brothel. Yoshiware has a large number of soap lands that began when explicit prostitution in Japan became illegal, where women washed men’s bodies. They were originally known as Toruko-buro, meaning Turkish bath. In ancient Greek society, prostitution was engaged in by both women and boys. The Greek word for prostitutes is porne derived from the verb pernemi (tonseu), with the evident modern evolution. The English word pornography, and its corollaries in other languages are directly derived from the Greek word porno. Female prostitutes could be independent and sometimes influential women.

They were required to wear distinctive dresses and had to pay taxes. Some similarities have been found between the Greek hetaera and the Japanese Oiran. Some prostitutes in ancient Greece such as lais were as famous for their company as their beauty but some of these women charged extraordinary sums for their services. In ancient Rome, a registered prostitute was called a meretrix while unregistered one fell under the broad category prostibulae. There were some commonalities with the Greek system, but as the empire grew, prostitutes were often foreign slaves captured, purchased, or raised for that purpose sometimes by large scale prostitute farmers who took abandoned children. Indeed, abandoned children were almost always raised as prostitutes. Enslavement into prostitution was sometimes used as a legal punishment against criminal free women. Buyers were allowed to inspect naked men and women for sale in private and there was no stigma attached to the purchase of males by a man aristocrat.

1.2       STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Statistically, prostitution is an alarming problem to the human society. Prostitution is a form of violence against women, it is violation of human rights. With a higher instance of physical violence perpetrated against them, female prostitutes are more likely to get murdered. This is a common occurrence across the country and contributes to the incidence of children without parents. Prostitutes have an increase incidence of sexually transmitted diseases. A study in Minecapolis, Minnesota revealed that only 15% of prostitutes who had prostituted for at least six months has an S.T.D. This figure does not include HIV/AIDS, Gynecological examination of the prostitutes in this study revealed an alarming incidence of positive pap tests. These women are at greater risk of cervical cancer and could spread the human papiloma virus among the population of the Minecapolis St. Paul Metropolitan area, either through direct transmission or indirect transmission.

The research reveals that rather than facing conditions of slavery men and women working as prostitutes are subjected to abuses which are similar in nature to those experienced by others working in low stratus jobs in the informal sector. However, the marginal position of sex workers in society excludes them from the international, national and customary protection afforded to other as citizens, workers or women. Their vulnerability to human and labor rights violations is greater than that of others because of the stigma and criminal charges widely attached to sex work. The report recommend that all national legislation which in intent or in practice results in the placing of sex workers outside the scope of the rule of law, should be repealed. The abolitionist approach declares that the institution of prostitution itself constitutes a violation of human rights. Raymond wishes to establish that all immigrant women working as prostitutes are victims f slavery and abuse. Average prostitution in Edo State was 70% female, 20%, male prostitutes and 10% customer. Whereas street prostitution accounts between 10 to 20% of the prostitution in Edo State. Research revealed that only 3-5% of the sexually transmitted diseases in Edo State relented to prostitution compared with 30-35% among teenagers. However, prevalent rate for prostitutes was approximately 50 percent in Edo State.

1.3       PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The purpose of the study is to investigate the perceived effect of female prostitution among our present day youths and suggest possible solution.

1.4       RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

H01:Those involved in prostitution did not escape from home at an early age to advoid abuse.

H02: Young girls are not involved in protitution as a result desiring expensive materials.

H03: Parental influence do not contribute to young girls involvement in prostitution.

1.5       SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will help the government to re0evaluate its previous policies about prostitution and come up with a more realistic policies and programmes. Parents will also benefit, in that it will make them to become more alive to their responsibilities.

1.6       SCOPE OF THE STUDY

From the researcher’s interview with many people it was clearly found out that prostitution-those are mainly widows who are mainly illiterates, part-time prostitution working class ladies who wish to live above their normal standard of living. Part-time ladies, girls stay by hotels agreement negotiation till day break. These are mainly secondary school drop-outs. Part-time girls stay mainly at home or boarders, drink excessively at the slightest in opportunity or chance. Most of them indulge in traveling on weakened from school with the notion of visiting their parents instead choose to lodge. These are mainly the secondary school students. From the fact enumerated above, the age range for prostitution covers 12-60 years. From the purpose of this essay, the writer has decided to narrow his investigation to the ages of 12-16 years so that the original topic would not be destroyed.

1.7       DEFINITION OF TERMS

Prostitution: Is the practice of engaging in relatively indiscriminate sexual activity in general with individual other than a spouse in exchange for immediate payment in money.

Youth: An individual that is aged between twenty and forty.

Contraceptive: All involve the use of drugs to prevent conception.

Abortion: It involves force terminate of pregnancy by drugs or any other means.

General diseases: It refers to those diseases got from sexual intercourse.

Aids: Acquire Immune Deficiency Syndrome.

Hiv: Human Immuno Deficiency Virus.

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