Influence of COVID-19 on Female Sex Workers in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
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World Bank, Washington, DC
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This study investigates how the
landscape of sex work in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, evolved in
the context of the COVID-19 epidemic. Using a mixed-methods
approach, the analysis triangulates data from quantitative
and qualitative sources to quantify shifts in income,
demand, and client frequency and describe female sex
workers’ perspectives on their work environment. The
COVID-19 restrictions introduced in early 2020 resulted in
dramatic decreases in sex work income, leading to extreme
financial vulnerability, food insecurity, and challenges in
meeting other basic needs such as paying rent. However, in a
2021 follow-up survey, sex workers reported the summer of
2021 as a key turning point, with the demand for sex work
rebounding to closer to pre-pandemic levels. Notably,
despite the average number of unique weekly clients not yet
having fully rebounded, by 2021 the price per client and the
total monthly sex work income had returned to pre-pandemic
levels. This may potentially be explained by an increased
number of repeat clients, which represented a larger
proportion of all clients during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Palabras clave
FEMALE SEX WORKER, COVID-19, VULNERABILITY