Poverty, migration and sex work: youth transitions in Ethiopia

TY - JOUR

T1 - Poverty, migration and sex work: youth transitions in Ethiopia

A1 - van Blerk,Lorraine

AU - van Blerk,Lorraine

PY - 2008/6

Y1 - 2008/6

N2 - Despite an emerging body of work on youth transitions, research has yet to explore the often unconventional routes to adulthood for young people marginalised through poverty. By drawing on interviews with 60 young commercial sex workers in Ethiopia, this paper explores the connections between poverty, migration and sex work and demonstrates that sex work provides a risky alternative, but often successful, path to independence for some rural–urban migrants. The paper concludes by offering recommendations for policies that seek to support young sex workers by enabling them to maintain their independence while seeking different employment.

AB - Despite an emerging body of work on youth transitions, research has yet to explore the often unconventional routes to adulthood for young people marginalised through poverty. By drawing on interviews with 60 young commercial sex workers in Ethiopia, this paper explores the connections between poverty, migration and sex work and demonstrates that sex work provides a risky alternative, but often successful, path to independence for some rural–urban migrants. The paper concludes by offering recommendations for policies that seek to support young sex workers by enabling them to maintain their independence while seeking different employment.

KW - Ethiopia

KW - Sex work

KW - Rural–urban migration

KW - Youth transitions

KW - Young people

U2 - 10.1111/j.1475-4762.2008.00799.x

DO - 10.1111/j.1475-4762.2008.00799.x

M1 - Article

JO - Area

JF - Area

SN - 0004-0894

IS - 2

VL - 40

SP - 245

EP - 253

ER -