Title: Fishing in deep waters: sex workers with disabilities in Harare, Zimbabwe

Authors: Tafadzwa Rugoho

Addresses: Department of Sociology, University of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa

Abstract: The sex work industry has survived for over a century and remains the most profitable business in the world. Women with disabilities have also joined the trade, though little is known about them. A research was done on them whose main objective was to understand the experiences of prostitutes with disabilities in Zimbabwe, with clients being recruited in Chitungwiza and Harare. A total of 17 people with different disabilities were purposively sampled for the study. Sex workers with disabilities have used different skills in the recruitment of clients. While some have recruited their clients in the street and beer halls, others have permanent clients. Women with disabilities who are in the sex industry face a number of challenges. Women with disabilities have no alternative but to soldier on in an effort to gain a living from the industry. The motivations for joining the sex industry are also diverse with others joining the industry to gain sexual gratification.

Keywords: sex workers; women; disabilities; Zimbabwe.

DOI: 10.1504/IJGSDS.2017.089483

International Journal of Gender Studies in Developing Societies, 2017 Vol.2 No.3, pp.227 - 240

Received: 23 Dec 2016
Accepted: 30 Aug 2017
Published online: 26 Jan 2018 *

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