August 7, 2004
How much is woman worth?
DFL Press Release:

On Monday August 9, women from all over South Africa will be gathering together to commemorate Women’s Day; to draw attention to the real life issues that impact their world, such as violence, sexual abuse, rape, lack of representation in politics, discrimination in education, poor working conditions, low wages, and the list goes on. Meanwhile, there are other forces gathering that would like to see these same women living in a society where the government sanctions the legalisation of their sexual slavery in the form of prostitution. What could be more detrimental to women’s welfare than the legalising of violence against them? Currently, prostitution is against the law in South Africa, but pressure is building here to make it an acceptable way to earn a living.

And guess what industry earns up to $19,000,000,000 every year? According to figures published in 2004 by The International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol), nineteen billion dollars is the annual estimated income realised by the sex slave trade.

A report issued this year by the United Nations indicates that as many as 900,000 human beings are trafficked across international borders as sex slaves each year. If the number of people who are trafficked within national borders is taken into account, this figure rises to 2.4 million. In an article from the International AIDS Conference in Thailand (July 10, 2004), it was recorded that the sex trade in Asia has been the engine behind HIV infections in countries such as Thailand and Cambodia where the illness has reached epidemic proportions.

According to a news article written for BBC in June, there are approximately 14,000 women in Greece who have been forced into a life of rape and prostitution after succumbing to the promise of a better life there. With Athens being the site of the world Olympics this August, one leading expert in Greece has been informed that sex traffickers will try to import an additional 2,000 young women to be offered for sale during the Olympic games.
Toward the end of this decade, the World Cup Soccer Tournament will be held in South Africa. Will South Africa’s daughters also be coerced into the brutal ’sex for sale’ market to service the lusts of strangers as they gather for another major sport competition.

Prostitution, whether forced, coerced or enticed, is a violation of a person’s innocence and dignity. At best, it is a cheapening of oneself sexually, in order to obtain money or favour. At worst, it is the dehumanising of another through degrading and horrific acts, which can result in injury, disfigurement and/or death.

It is common knowledge that drug abuse and prostitution are linked, and that prostitution also play a major role in the spread of HIV/AIDS and STDs. In addiction to the inflicted physical suffering, research has proven that prostitution adversely affects the psychological health of the prostitute, the client and society as a whole.

Since 1996, Doctors For Life International (DFL) has been a forerunner in making the South African public aware of the prostitution issue. DFL also rendered expert medical evidence on the harmful effects of prostitution on the woman to the Constitutional Court in 2001. To date, the Constitutional Court still upholds the law prohibiting prostitution. However, on a global scale, pressure is mounting to make prostitution an acceptable practice. After legalising prostitution, both Sweden and Taiwan actually reversed their decisions due to the increased problems encountered when attempting to recognise prostitution as a viable practice.

DFL remains committed to work on behalf of these silent voices imprisoned in a life of prostitution; those who have no platform on which to stand and expose the truth about living a life of violence and degradation.

DFL is an international organisation based in South Africa, and represents over 1 000 physicians, specialists and medical professionals locally and around the world. For further information or confidential inquiries, please contact Nora Rew at the listed number or cell +27 (0) 83 693 7215.