Study of Sex Trafficking in Namibia

Abstract

The researcher investigated the existence, prevalence and causes of trafficking for sexual exploitation in Namibia, as well as its impact and effects on both its victims and society as a whole. Due to the complexity and dangerous nature of her topic of study, she utilised a unique method in which she identifies and capacitates specific members of the study’s target group to lead her into areas that would otherwise be too difficult for her to reach and involving them in data collection. For validity and authenticity purposes, the research was both quantitative and qualitative in nature. It combined different social research data collection techniques by administering standardized validated questionnaires to 230 respondents during in-person interviews as well as carrying out systematic field observations in key areas in 18 out of the 35 of the country’s regional metropolises and border posts from where it collected information provided by 6 Focus Group Discussion Meetings (FGDMs) and 32 key informants. This was complemented by compilation of 18 case studies representing real life stories of possible victims of human trafficking. 3 The study was able to establish that while sex trafficking as a social phenomenon exists in the country, there was little public awareness about it. Whereas the phenomenon was found fairly new, it was also found growing fast mainly among women, young adolescents and children living in specially difficult circumstances such as unemployed school drop-outs and orphaned youths mainly due to deep-rooted social, economic and gender inequalities. Its consequences included physical, health and moral hazards such as diseases that included sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and HIV/AIDS, gender-based violence and abandonment and homelessness. Finally, the study makes some recommendations for policy and legislative prevention and protection measures, as well as practical service delivery interventions particularly in terms of public awareness building in order to reduce social, economic and gender inequality that serve to promote the problem.