Youth group in drive to legalise sex trade

THE Chief Hosea Kutako Youth Forum (CHKYF), a Windhoek-based youth group, yesterday called for a national debate on legalising prostitution.

The fact that the sex trade was regarded as illegal kept Namibian society from effectively tackling problems such as HIV-AIDS, child abuse and violence against women, CHKYF Chairperson Pro-Laste Ngueumenga said. Ngueumenga, who says his organisation supports legalising prostitution, added that Government could not afford to continue ignoring this problem.”Many girls are migrating from rural to urban areas to seek jobs, but they end up in the sex trade, especially girls and women aged between 16 and 30,” he said.”The numbers are growing daily, especially for sex tourism, sex trafficking and underage children.”He welcomed a report by the Namibia Institute of Democracy’s mentorship programme, which shed light on what led Namibian women and, to a lesser extent men, to this lifestyle.The report, done by then fourth-year University of Namibia Sociology student Merab Kambamu Kiremire, found that 91 per cent of sex workers interviewed claimed to have been assaulted at the hands of customers, pimps and even the Police.In addition, 19 per cent of respondents claimed to have been subjected to bestiality, specifically sex with dogs and involving snakes and scorpions.The researchers handed out 100 questionnaires to women and men in Windhoek, Oshakati, and Oshikango, and interviewed 10 pimps.Ngueumenga, who says his organisation supports legalising prostitution, added that Government could not afford to continue ignoring this problem.”Many girls are migrating from rural to urban areas to seek jobs, but they end up in the sex trade, especially girls and women aged between 16 and 30,” he said.”The numbers are growing daily, especially for sex tourism, sex trafficking and underage children.”He welcomed a report by the Namibia Institute of Democracy’s mentorship programme, which shed light on what led Namibian women and, to a lesser extent men, to this lifestyle.The report, done by then fourth-year University of Namibia Sociology student Merab Kambamu Kiremire, found that 91 per cent of sex workers interviewed claimed to have been assaulted at the hands of customers, pimps and even the Police.In addition, 19 per cent of respondents claimed to have been subjected to bestiality, specifically sex with dogs and involving snakes and scorpions.The researchers handed out 100 questionnaires to women and men in Windhoek, Oshakati, and Oshikango, and interviewed 10 pimps.