On the human trafficking, KAFA demands responsibilising clients and customers

In its follow up of the human trafficking case uncovered recently during the raid of the so-called Chez Maurice night club east of Beirut, L’Orient Le Jour highlighted the role and responsibility of customers and clients of these places who remain untouched and unaffected. In this respect, the newspaper interviewed the head of the Exploitation and Trafficking in Women department at KAFA Enough Violence organization, Ghada Jabbour, who stressed that the high demand for prostitution justifies women abuse. Pointing out to the outcomes of a survey conducted by the organization and involving 55 men of different age groups and social affiliations, Jabbour revealed a connection between all the respondents, which is that everyone of them has paid for sex at least once in their lifetime. Nearly 71% of those men have expressed that their favorite spots to meet sex workers were nightclubs, against 53% who said they opted for bars. The study also indicated that while a number of respondents said sexual services in Lebanon were easy, accessible and suit different budgets, others noted that chasing prostitutes saves them the toil of a steady and official relationship. Asked about the exploitation and violence against women associated with prostitution, about 40% of respondents indicated that women prostitutes do their job knowingly of the associated risks in exchange for money. Meanwhile, 10% of the men interviewed admitted that they have noticed the marks of physical abuse on the bodies of the women they contacted. According to the same study, a large number of respondents outspokenly admitted that had it not been for the ease of access to sexual services in Lebanon, the phenomenon of harassment would have drastically proliferated. KAFA officer underlined the need to place sex customers accountable as well.

L’Orient Le Jour, May 6, 2016

 

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