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The Factbook on Global Sexual Exploitation |
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About the Factbook |
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Contents |
Asia
Europe
Oceania
Africa
Middle East
Central America
& the Caribbean
South America
North America |
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| About the Factbook |
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The Factbook on Global Sexual Exploitation was compiled from media,
non-governmental organization and government reports. It is an initial effort
to collect facts, statistics and known cases on global sexual exploitation.
Information is organized into four categories:
- Trafficking,
- Prostitution,
- Pornography, and
- Organized and Institutionalized
Sexual Exploitation
and Violence.
Sources were not contacted to verify information. Close examination will reveal
that there are contradictions in information depending on the sources of information
(ex: how many women are in prostitution in Thailand). All statistics are reported
with no attempt to evaluate which numbers are more likely to be accurate. In fact,
the exact numbers in many cases are not known and estimates come from different sources
which use different methods to determine what they report.
We hope these facts will assist people to recognize the harm caused throughout the world
by sexual violence and exploitation and catalyze action against this violence agianst women.
This project was made possible with the support of the College of Arts and Sciences,
University of Rhode Island and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), Norway.
If you use this information in your work, please reference this factbook-- The Factbook on
Global Sexual Exploitation, Donna M. Hughes, Laura Joy Sporcic, Nadine Z. Mendelsohn,
Vanessa Chirgwin, Coalition Against Trafficking in Women, 1999.
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Poland
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| TRAFFICKING |
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At least 200 women, including girls under the age of 16, were trafficked
by one Polish man to Germany and the Netherlands between 1993 and 1996. (Warsaw
Voice, 1996). ("Trafficking of Women to the European Union: Characterisitics,
Trends and Policy Issues," European Conference on Trafficking in Women,
(June 1996), IOM, 7 May 1996)
Poland is a destination country for trafficking in Bulgarian women it is
a transit country for women from Ukraine, Lithuania and Belarus. At least
3,500 Bulgarian prostituted women are in Poland and more than 1,000 from Ukraine
and Belarus (source: Polish Deputy Interior Minister). In 1997, police registered
200 cases of attempted smuggling of women to Western brothels. (Piotr Bazylko,
"Poland, Ukraine to fight sex slave industry," Reuters, 16 July 1998)
Policy and Law
In Poland, there are no specific laws governing the smuggling of aliens.
(Tass, 1995, "Trafficking and Prostitution: The Growing Exploitation of Migrant
Women from Central and Eastern Europe," IOM, May 1995)
The governments of Poland and Ukraine agreed on July 16, 1998, to cooperate
in fighting prostitution and sex slave trafficking to the West. "The Mafia
has got engaged in [the trafficking of women]. We must take preventive measures
together," a Ukrainian Interior Ministry representative commented on the agreement.
("Poland, Ukraine to fight sex slave industry," Radio Free Europe/Radio
Liberty Newsline, Vol. 2, No. 136 Part II, 17 July 1998)
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| PROSTITUTION |
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Case
A child prostitution ring, with a computer list of more than 1000 names,
including 100 foreign clients, from Europe and Russia, was uncovered in Szczecin
in November 1996. It may be the largest child sex crime in the country's history.
(BBC, 8 November 1997)
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| PORNOGRAPHY |
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The Polish sex industry held its first legal trade fair in September 1998,
attracting businessmen, pornographic film stars, and both male and female
participants. Spectators at the Warsaw show will be treated to erotic dancing,
mock sado-masochistic performances and naked beauty contests for both sexes.
They can also browse around stalls offering sex aids, films and books. ("New
law allows Polish porn festival," Reuters, 25 September 1998)
A pornography law prohibits the public display of material likely to offend
but permits in private everything but erotica involving children, animals
and violence in Poland. The law has been in force since 1 September 1998.
Publishers have had to remove nudity from the covers of magazines sold in
kiosks and wrap non-transparent foil around books that might be sold openly
in other European countries. ("New law allows Polish porn festival," Reuters,
25 September 1998)
Between 300,000 to 400,000 hard-core porn magazines are sold a month in Poland,
a country of 39 million people. ("New law allows Polish porn festival," Reuters,
25 September 1998)
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