Sexual exploitation of girls is a threat to tourism growth

By Philip GEBU

A BBC news report suggest that authorities in Ghana are examining reports that a Russian man covertly filmed sexual encounters with women, then shared the footage online without their consent.

Media in Ghana and Russia identified the suspect as a self-styled “pick-up artist” and online blogger in his 30s. The reports claimed the man used a pair of sunglasses, fitted with a camera, to film some encounters and circulated them on social media, though officials have not confirmed this detail.

An initial investigation has established that the suspect has likely left the country, Ghana’s Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection said. The minister for Technology Sam George said he had asked the Russian ambassador in Accra, for Moscow’s cooperation in getting justice for the victims.

The report also says Russia does not extradite its citizens, except in extreme circumstances. Russia’s embassy in Ghana said it had “taken note” of the reports, but did not state whether the Russian authorities would co-operate with the investigation. The same man has been accused of committing similar illegal acts in Kenya.

This news is trending and being reported on the BBC show the international dimension this story has taken. Many questions being asked is whether tourists coming to Ghana need to be vetted. Obviously that won’t be possible considering the nature of tourism. Obviously many tourists visit Ghana and engage in sexual activities without any body finding out.

The nature of this particular case especially making it public is what has attracted all the headlines. This is not new to tourism. Tourism comes with positive as well as negative effects.  This leads us to a broader discussion of the negative effect of sex tourism on a nation and by extension sex-child tourism and even homosexuality.

Sex tourism occurs when the primary motive of the tourist is to seek sex whiles in the destinations visited. Is Ghana becoming a sex tourism destination or it has already become? According to a report- Combating Child Sex Tourism Questions and Answers, it is real and it’s an international and national problem.

No region of the world is untouched by this crime and no country is ‘immune’. In an increasingly interconnected world, more people are on the move and even the most remote parts of the planet are now within reach, thanks to cheaper travel and the spread of the Internet.

According to a story published in the Mirror some years back, the production and sale of pornographic films on digital versatile disc and video compact disc has become a flourishing trade.

Information from the Ghana Immigration service indicated that some foreign nationals visits the country under the guise of tourist but engage the services of prostitute and other young girls for the production of pornography films for sale abroad.

A Dutch national named De Graaft Frederick was sentenced for the above offence. There were stories of a tourist having confessed of infecting many young Ghanaian girls with HIV-AIDS. I have heard reports emanating from some hotel workers who have confirmed to me that some tourists stay in their hotels for more than a year and keep changing women on regular bases.

Those involved in these acts will consider the economic benefit as an inducement. The good news is that Ghana hasn’t made the list of top ten sex destinations around the world. The only African country to make up the list is Kenya according to a story published on aviationghana.com. Kenya booming tourism in the past has been a contributing factor.

It also has one of the largest sex tourism industries on the continent. The country does not discourage the practice despite the high level of STDs and HIV prevalence. Remarkably, Kenya is a popular destination among older white women who want to ‘buy’ some time with a man.

Children are lured into prostitution by tourists willing to pay handsomely for sex in secret locations. Germany topped the list. Prostitution and even street prostitution is wide spread and organised sector in Germany and it is completely legal. The country has a long history of sex tourism with organised prostitution in the country dating back to the 1200’s AD.

Some women, after meeting these unscrupulous tourists are lured to join them abroad. In Ghana, prostitution is illegal yet prostitutes can be seen in many places around the capital. In a recent news report on Joy fm, the reporter found out that many underage girls have found themselves in this trade due to economic challenges and were being abused and bitten by young men who supervise and protect them. Ultimate FM reported that several young girls were seen in the cubicles of brothel in Kumasi serving customers in bed. Some of them were spotted in their school uniforms.

Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children

The most serious aspect of the above-mentioned challenge occurs when tourists travel seeking children for sex. The commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) is a grave violation of children’s rights and constitutes an affront to our collective dignity. CSEC is defined as the “sexual abuse by the adult and remuneration in cash or kind to the child or a third person or persons,” in the Declaration and Agenda for Action against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children.

It is a process through which “the child is treated as a sexual object and as a commercial object” and “which constitutes a form of coercion and violence against children, and amounts to forced labour and a contemporary form of slavery. “First identified as a global concern at the Stockholm World Congress against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in 1996, CSEC is a complex problem that requires very specific interventions and the full attention of the world community. CSEC can take many forms, each with equally devastating consequences for children and the communities in which it occurs.

The main forms of CSEC are child prostitution, child pornography and trafficking of children for sexual purposes, while child sex tourism and some instances of child marriage can be considered as specific forms of child prostitution.

It occurs for a wide variety of reasons, such as wealth discrepancies, demand for child sex, gender inequalities, armed conflict, social attitudes, or extreme consumerism. The sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism (SECTT) has expanded across the globe and out-paced every attempt to respond at. As a result, the risks of child sexual exploitation are increasing. The impact on each individual child cannot be over-stated.

For survivors, the legacy can include severe and life-long physical, emotional and psychological damage. As well as consuming its child victims, SECTT also fractures families and local cultures, and undermines the future prospects of entire communities. On the one hand, inaction on this crime can have serious social and economic consequences.

On the other hand, effective action must be informed by hard evidence. SECTT is, by its very nature, secretive and hidden. Little is known about what is happening and where, about the victims and perpetrators, and, very importantly, about what actually works to stop the abuse. To date, the lack of solid information about this crime, coupled with silence or even tolerance, has kept SECTT far too low on the policy agenda.

Tourism brings many benefits to a destination yet, the negative effects can be very harmful. The anger surrounding this current scandal involving this Russian is a wake up to our young ladies. You may think you are having a private encounter and yet your encounter may be on social media. Staying away from these unscrupulous tourists is the best way to curb this evil.

Philip Gebu is a Tourism Consultant and founder of Maximum Impact Tourism Club. He is the C.E.O of FoReal Destinations Ltd, a Tourism Destinations Management and Marketing Company based in Ghana and with partners in other countries. Please contact Philip with your comments and suggestions.

Write to [email protected] / [email protected]. Visit our website at www.forealdestinations.com or call or WhatsApp +233(0)244295901/0264295901.Visist our social media sites Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: FoReal Destinations

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