3. Commercial Sex Work as a Source of Income
The most common practice for CSWs in Binga is to make an arrangement with a man, whereby he pays her a sum of money and the woman is expected to provide him with sex at any time over a period typically of about a month. The man sets some rules to the relationship, usually demanding that the woman does not have sex with any other men over that period. The men usually stay overnight with the women, and can stay for up to a weekend at a time. During his stays, the woman is expected also to provide meals for the man, and the food must be paid for from the money paid by the man.
Payment rates vary according to a number of factors:
- If the client is picked up from a beer hall - which is where most "business" is conducted - then the rate for a month was typically around Z$350. However for "men who love them" and who come to their houses, the typical rate is around Z$700.
- The economic situation of the women influences price: in hard times (such as at present), there is greater competition between CSWs to get any money for survival, and the beer hall rate can be negotiated to as low as Z$250.
- The age and appearance of the woman: younger and better-dressed women find it easier to pick up men and can get a better price.
- The use of condoms: men will pay up to Z$1,000 for unprotected sex, compared to the Z$350 for sex with a condom. The interviewees said that it was mainly the young girls recently arrived from rural areas who were willing to engage in unprotected sex, and they attributed this firstly to limited knowledge of the risks of HIV and other sexually-transmitted diseases, and secondly to the fact that these girls are too shy to ask for condoms, particularly in the beer halls where they are most commonly available. Condoms are also available from the supermarket in Binga, the hospital and from peer educators, however the uptake by the younger CSWs was reportedly low.1
It was said to be uncommon for women to be picked up for once-off sex, and therefore for CSWs to have a number clients in a single night. Two reasons for this were given. First, as knowledge of HIV/AIDS has spread, men are not keen on sleeping with women who clearly have multiple partners. If a man has the sort of relationship described earlier with a CSW, and he finds out that she has slept with anyone else during that time, he is likely to beat her (the issue of violence against CSWs is mentioned further below).
A second reason cited is more to do with financial considerations: with the current drought in Binga and the general economic problems in the country, which are most visibly reflected in the high rate of increase of the prices of basic commodities, men simply cannot afford to pay for as much sex as they used to.
The interviewees also confirmed that they work independently. "Pimping", whereby someone arranges clients for them and takes a commission, does not occur.
Clients were said to be of different types. The better off salaried workers in Binga (e.g. civil servants) tend to pick up the younger women, while the interviewees said that they were left with the poorer fishermen from the fishing camps on Lake Kariba, and with craftsmen.
Commercial sex work engages women during weekends and evenings/ nights. They spend their evenings mainly at the beer halls looking for clients. In total, the women estimated that they earned a total of between Z$800 and Z$1,000 per month from this source of income.
Violence and the Legal Status of Commercial Sex Work
In Zimbabwe prostitution is illegal, and commercial sex workers therefore face arrest for their activities. This places women at a serious disadvantage when dealing with clients. If a man refuses to pay after sex - as commonly occurs - then the CSW has no redress. More seriously, police are said not to be sympathetic towards cases of violence against CSWs. The women report that beatings are practically a daily occurrence for them, yet if they report them to the police at best they can receive a recommendation to seek treatment at the hospital, and at worst they can end up being fined Z$200 or made to do community service.
Footnote:
- The CSWs trained as peer educators also indicated that they can be further economically disadvantaged by promoting safe sex as they feel they can lose clients as a result. As one woman put it, "the men want sex, they don't want a teacher".
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