Sex Tourism and Other Ways Liberia is Unprotected Against Sexual Abuse
In the age of ‘Me too’, Surviving R. Kelly, and ‘Time’s Up’, many women are now coming to terms with their past experiences of sexual abuse and other gender-based violence. While a bulk of the conversation surrounds the sexual abuse of women by family, friends, or intimate partners, others focus on abuse from people in positions of power, as well as statutory abuse. In considering the numerous sexual abuses women, girls and vulnerable men and boys are subject to, it is important to take into account the role poverty plays in the matter. For women, girls, and vulnerable men and boys living in developing nations, sexual abuse takes a new face and presents itself as opportunities, rather than its truth as a dark twisted marriage between violent sexual deviance and power lust.
In developing nations like Liberia, people are left exposed to sexual abuse and other gender-based violence due to the slack laws protecting such victims. Likewise, the high poverty rates in such countries can lead to increase cases of unregulated prostitution, which can result in potential risks of even more forms of sexual abuse, violence from sexual predators and the inconceivable cruelty of sex tourism.
Sex tourism is defined by the US Center for Disease Control as planned travel to a country where prostitution is legal, generally for the purpose of sex. As many developing African nations are scurrying for the influx of tourism to their regions, one cannot help but wonder what laws are being developed and strictly implemented to ensure the protection of women, girls, and vulnerable men and boys against the dangers of sexual abuse as a result of sex tourism.
People who participate in sex tourism in these developing nations are mostly from western, more developed countries, according to a report on the matter by the University of California Santa Barbara. In some of these western countries, the laws make it illegal for their citizens to participate in such acts overseas, especially when involving a minor. However, due to the enabling environments for sex offenders in these developing nations, coupled with the low percentage of survivors who report their abuse, it remains a challenge holding the abusers accountable. No deterring factor + no repercussions = high likelihood for abuse. Simple math.
Other Sexual Abuses
On the other hand, there are other foreigners who carry out sexual abuse through their careers with NGOs, the U.N., and other organizations operating in developing countries. In November of last year, a report by The Star written by renowned Liberian journalist, Jonathan Paye-Layleh, revealed that over 6,000 Liberian children fathered by U.N. peace-keeping forces, ECOMOG, were left abandoned with their mothers or in orphanage homes, without contact to their fathers.
ECOMOG, who were operating in Liberia during the Liberian civil war under the umbrella of the West African regional body, ECOWAS, left Liberia when the war ended back in 2003. The report stated that during their stay in the country, they were involved in unethical sexual relationships with Liberian women and girls who were seeking food, medicine, shelter and safety from the war. Despite it being illegal in the policies governing the United Nations Peacekeepers on such missions, countless women and girls were sexually abused and exploited by them, resulting in more than 6,000 children being left abandoned and fatherless. Likewise, a 2017 report by The Associated Press uncovered over 2,000 allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation by U.N. Peacekeeping forces in several countries. Bear in mind, that these numbers are only of those reported.
In order for the act of visiting a country for the purpose of sex, or sex tourism, to be considered legal, prostitution must be legal in the country being toured. In Liberia, prostitution is illegal as per the written law. In the streets and nightlife scenes of the nation’s capital, though, evidences of prostitution and other sex work can be seen clear as day. In a 2014 report for the Daily Beast, Clair McDougall highlighted the struggles and abuse of child sex workers in the country. With some as young as 11 years old recounting their horror stories and abuse as child sex workers, the report unearthed a dark reality that exists in Liberia where adult men, homegrown and foreign, solicit children as young as 8 years old for sex.
Another dark reality that exists in this realm, is the imbalanced solicitation from foreign men toward Liberian women and girls disguised as relationships. Circulating among expatriates and other foreigners working in or visiting Liberia, and those who have had experiences with Liberian women, is that the young women are allegedly likely to offer an enjoyable sexual experience, especially when money is involved. Due to this harmful rhetoric, Liberian girls are left vulnerable to preying sexual deviants and abusers who are in the country looking for a good time. The even darker side of this reality, is that the nation’s struggling economy puts the girls, women, boys, and vulnerable men at even greater risks of abuse, as most of them feel left with no other option than sex work, or imbalanced sexual relationships in order to make a living. These sexual predators and deviants are aware of this fact, and so, they use things like money and material things to exploit women, girls, boys, and men.
How can it be fixed
Although, all is not a lost cause, as there are written laws in the Liberian justice system against sexual abuse and other gender-based violence. Under the leadership of former president Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Liberia’s rape laws came into effect, making the act illegal and punishable by imprisonment. However, since written in 2006, the law is rarely enforced, seeing a 93% dismissal of reported cases from the courts. This high case dismissal rate discourages survivors of rape and other sexual abuses from reporting their abuse, as they have little faith in the Liberian justice system to see their cases through. Low reporting rates + low prosecution rates = high probability for abuse. Simple math.
So how can we put an end to this gross abuse of money, power, respect, and the lives of Liberian women, girls, boys, and vulnerable men? Sadly, some of the people in the position to fix the issue are among the abusers. In spite of that though, women advocacy groups around Liberia are taking a strong stance to regulate and prosecute violators taking advantage of the system or lack thereof, and the people. For too long Liberian women, girls and vulnerable people have been left unprotected in more ways than we have words for, but enough is enough.
Likewise, it is important that the nation economically empowers its people, so as to reduce the likelihood of sex work or imbalanced sexual relationships. Likewise, the Liberian justice system must do all in its power to ensure the laws against rape and sexual abuse are strictly adhered to and implemented.
This is one of the compelling articles about Liberia that I have read in a very long time.