Prostitution in Ethiopia is legal, [ 1 ] and widespread. Ethiopia has become a magnet for sex tourism , [ 6 ] [ 7 ] [ 8 ] [ 9 ] including child sex tourism. In , Ethiopian scriptwriter and film director, Hermon Hailay , directed the film Price of Love , which was inspired by her experiences growing up close to prostitutes. Ethiopia is a source and, to a lesser extent, destination and transit country for women and children subjected to sex trafficking.
Saudi Arabia remains the primary destination for irregular migrants; reportedly, over , Ethiopians reside there. Saudi officials regularly deport Ethiopians in large numbers, and many of the deportees reported instances of sexual exploitation. Ethiopian women who migrate for work or flee abusive employers in the Middle East are also vulnerable to sex trafficking. Labor recruiters target young people from Ethiopia's vast rural areas with promises of a better life. Although reports remain anecdotal, the severe drought in may have resulted in an increase in internal trafficking.
Girls from Ethiopia's impoverished rural areas are exploited in commercial sex within the country. Ethiopian girls are exploited in commercial sex in neighbouring African countries, particularly Sudan. Child sex tourism continues to be a problem in major hubs, including Addis Ababa, Bahir Dar , Hawassa , and Bishoftu ; reports identify mostly Ethiopian-born perpetrators, including members of the diaspora , with known links to local hotels, brokers, and taxi drivers.
In , federal and regional justice officials investigated 1, potential trafficking cases and convicted traffickers under the anti-trafficking law, a significant increase from 69 convictions in Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk. Read Edit View history. Tools Tools. Download as PDF Printable version. In other projects. Wikidata item. See also: Human trafficking in Ethiopia. References [ edit ]. Sexuality, Poverty and Law Programme.
Retrieved 10 March BBC News. Archived from the original on 4 June Retrieved 21 July Retrieved 12 April Retrieved 7 April The African Poor: A History. ISBN Department of State. Archived from the original on 29 June This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. Prostitution in Africa.
