By Mohamed Juma Jalloh
Unarguably, prostitution is widely seen as the world`s oldest profession. Oral tradition says it predates many white collar jobs.
From a religious standpoint, it is a practice condemned by Sierra Leone’s two major creeds- Islam and Christianity.
For it is believed that prostitutes would not inherit the Kingdom of God without sincere repentance.
The two religions attach damnation to fornication and extra-marital affairs which are precursors to prostitution addiction.
The act of prostitution warrants women to commercialise their bodies for the purpose of meeting the sexual desires of men for either financial or material gain.
Prostitution is a taboo in many countries, including Sierra Leone. Public morality outlaws prostitution in all its forms and anywhere it is done, but it is deemed much more forbidden in public places.
Little wonder that scores of prostitutes almost always fall victim to brutal police raids.
The revered customs and traditions of many Sierra Leonean communities also attach immense stigmatisation to prostitution.
Such customs repose immense value to family ideals, regarding women as fulfilling the procreation role described in the religious scriptures.
Some established hotels and guesthouses nationwide are now run as brothels with pimps ever ready to do the prostitutes’ biddings hoping to share the proceeds of prostitution.
Hotels at Aberdeen and Lumley communities once established for tourist attraction also serve the purpose of a luring ground for prostitutes.
In pre-COVID days, young girls and women would utilise Lumley and Aberdeen beaches as hangouts or rendezvous for the exhibition of their nakedness for business.
Beaches are frequented by women with a desire to hunt men and at the same time hoping to be hunted by men. As an ideal natural setting, the availability of prostitutes attracts sex punters from the opposite sex.
By comparison, the practice is far more lucrative along beach communities than in other areas.
Tourists sometimes dish out foreign currencies to prostitutes after sexual intercourse without much hesitation.
Regardless of the country’s secular nature, many people in Sierra Leone equally frown at the immoral act of prostitution.
It is not uncommon for prostitutes who fall into police nets to suffer physical and sexual assault in the hands of police men themselves.
The law enforcers see the assault as a way for prostitutes to free themselves from the shackles of the law.
In spite of public resentment, prostitution is sometimes carried out in broad daylight in unfinished buildings and makeshift structures seen as the most comfortable secluded locations.
By 7pm when it is fairly dark, commercial sex workers wander and swagger around clad in their attractive and sexy miniskirts hoping to lure their first catch.
Within three hours, in anticipation of the 9pm curfew, many clients are expected to enquire for sex. In most cases, the prostitutes are the ones who pant after potential clients.
The pervasiveness of prostitution in Sierra Leone does not make it a feel-free issue that dominates media discussions. It is usually discussed in secluded locations, but the topic has never filtered into national discourse.
It is no gainsaying that Prostitutes sometimes play the role of bread winners in various homes as long as the trade remains lucrative.
“I support my two kids who reside with their grandmother from the monies that I earn from the streets,” one of the ladies revealed.
The socioeconomic impact of COVID-19 has not spared the prostitution industry. Prostitutes emerge from different communities where the beach serves as a rendezvous for the immoral trade.
The restrictive measures imposed by Covid-19 have helped in de-congesting the beach. Some have decided to practice the trade in their neighborhoods instead of venturing into the beach.
Lady Gaga (not her real name) said profits from the trade have significantly reduced with the advent of the pandemic.
“Whenever business is slow, I traverse the length and breadth of the beach hoping to lure potential clients in vehicles,” Lady Gaga explains.
She says sometimes the trade yields little dividend as vehicles she flag does not stop to ask for sex.
However, murdering of prostitutes along the beaches is rife, and is a constant source of worry for the authorities.
The Hannah Bockarie’s recent murder along the beaches lingers as a bright example, and the incidents have compelled government to embark on pro-active measures.
Hannah was said to have been murdered after she was allegedly gang-raped by men on the beaches
A friend of the deceased, who testified in the murder trial, was also found dead after being butchered by unknown assailants.
However, five police posts have been erected across the beach to stop the bad guys with the gun.
Police presence across the beach has drastically reduced the high spate of murders as well as other felonies and misdemeanours.
But, some girls on the beach are wary of commercial motorists (okada riders) who snatch their handbags whenever the opportunity arises. Although medical doctors have proved that COVID-19 cannot be transmitted through sexual intercourse, some punters are of the strong conviction that the disease is spread through sex.
The fear of contracting the disease through sexual intercourse has caused some clients to desert the beach. Instead, many prostitutes have retreated to neighbourhoods far from the watchful looks of police officers.
The economic impact of Corona virus has brought about untold financial losses in the industry.
The value for short-time customers is pegged at Le10, 000 depending on the relationship between clients. The price for long-time appointments varies, but the minimum price is tagged at Le50, 000 for a couple of hours. Overnight sex spree for a prostitute is the most expensive as the commercial sex worker is expected to spend the night with the client until daybreak.
“Whenever business is sluggish, I have a close circle of customers who are always ready for business,” Lady Fresh (not her real name) explained.
She however explains that reliable clients are hard to come by in the midst of COCID -19 as most people currently struggle for hand-to-mouth survival.
Several vulnerable groups received government support to lessen the COVID-19 burden on the beneficiaries.
However, prostitutes were never considered in the COVID-19 response because their profession is deemed illegal and, above all, immoral.
Public opinion strongly frowns at the prostitutes, unethical conduct that serves as one of the worst examples to the present and future generation young girls.
For many women and girls, the desire to free themselves from the trap of poverty drives them into the sex trade.
However, some girls who hail from well-to-do backgrounds, no doubt, take active part in the commercial sex work leaving one to wonder the actual reason they venture into the trade.
Weak, indulgent and single parenting, uncontrollable loves for wealth as well as peer pressure have been identified by social researchers as factors that breed prostitution. While many young girls see prostitution as the most attractive and admirable professions from which one can get the highest pleasure some see the practice as the easiest path to success.
Some prostitutes loot and cart away the properties of men who come to have time with them.
After prolonged sexual intercourse, some men fall into excessive sleep creating the opportunity for essential valuables to be carted away by prostitutes.
That is why a punter, who is not vigilant, is always at the mercy of thieving prostitutes.
However, the importance of prostitutes in society should not be underestimated.
They are a useful social class that meets the sexual satisfaction of many married and unmarried men.
Unbearably, prostitutes are adopting strategies to ward off the devastating socioeconomic effects of COVID-19.
Prostitutes have made their voices heard in the easing of COVID-19 restrictions debate. Many are of the conviction that the 9pm curfew warrants an immediate extension to 12pm.
The reason for insistently calling for a shift in time is to see the reopening of pubs, nightclubs and other entertainment centres that facilitate the trade of prostitution.