Prostitution and Destitution: Indonesia

Most of you, at one time or another, have been approached on the street or in a bar by a kupu-kupu malam, a prostitute. If you were in Bali, then this occurs frequently and even during the day. What is worse, these are young girls who should be in school instead of touting services in the form of massages.

Unfortunately, they get the customers.

Prostitution has been on the increase in Indonesia ever since KRISMON (Asian Economic Crisis) and mainly due to lack of employment in the family household resulting in a dire need for money to exist. So mothers and daughters are prostituting themselves in order to put food on the table. Some travel to the big cities and are taken in by pimps who offer some protection in return. The relationship between pimp and prostitute is often abusive, and is a source of much violence against prostitutes. Once a female enters the dark world of sex-for-sale, then the chances of getting out are virtually next to nil.

New trafficking laws have been passed in parliament but enforcing these laws is the biggest hurdle faced by the authorities.The Human Trafficking Law imposes heavier punishments on those proven to have ordered others to prostitute themselves.

Will it work in Indramayu?. Judge for yourself in this Tempo Magazine article.