The many faces of transactional sex: women's agency, livelihoods and risk factors in humanitarian contexts: a literature review

C Formson, Thea Hilhorst

Research output: Working paperAcademic

Abstract

Transactional sex refers to the exchange of sex for material or financial gains or benefits. Much of the existing literature suggests that women engage in sex for material and financial gain in an effort to mitigate the impact of food insecurity – so-called survival sex. In contrast, this literature review finds transactional sex occurs in diverse contexts, is motivated by various factors and is influenced by gendered socio-economic and cultural factors. The paper examines the motivations behind women’s engagement in different types of transactional sex; the role of violence in transactional sex, and asks what degree of agency do women have within the practice and are they able to negotiate for safe sex.
Original languageEnglish
Place of PublicationLondon
Number of pages24
Publication statusPublished - 2016

Publication series

SeriesSLRC Working Papers
Volume41

Bibliographical note

The Overseas Development Institute (ODI) is the lead organisation. SLRC partners include the Centre for Poverty Analysis (CEPA) in Sri Lanka, Feinstein International Center (FIC, Tufts University), the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU), the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) in Pakistan, Disaster Studies of Wageningen University (WUR) in the Netherlands, the Nepal Centre for Contemporary Research (NCCR), and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

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