The Center for Integral Orientation and Investigation (COIN), a non-governmental organization for sexual and reproductive health in the Dominican Republic, estimates that around 250,000 women make a living from sex work in the country.
COIN research reveals that in addition to the traditional prostitutes, there are those involved in virtual sex, and the “chapiadoras” (female sanky pankies) and “chapiadoritas.” The latter are minors that do sexual favors in exchange for gifts or cash for around 200,000 Dominican women involved in sex work.
Likewise, COIN estimates at around 6,000, the number of foreign women who offer their services primarily in tourist destinations. Of these, around 3,000 are Venezuelans, and 2,000 Haitians.
The most popular tourist areas where the women find work are Sosúa and Cabarete in Puerto Plata, Boca Chica in Santo Domingo, Punta Cana in the East and Las Terrenas in Samana.
An estimated 100,000 women have gone abroad to earn hard currency for their trade and live in Antigua (16,000), Guadeloupe (10,000), Curacao (1,000), Dominica (900), Haiti (500), Italy, Switzerland, Germany and Spain. COIN says that the contacts for the overseas work are either via organized networks or family members.
The director of COIN, sociologist Santo Rosario told Listin Diario that 90% of the women know they are going to work in the sex trade and are not lured abroad under false promises. Nevertheless, Rosario said the women take on the work for the money. He says in most cases they need the money to maintain their children. They are victims of social exclusion, unemployment and low wages in the Dominican Republic.
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Listin Diario
Listin Diario
Diario Libre
13 March 2019