Sex workers in Accra have increased their charges due to the general economic hardship in Ghana currently.
Some of them told JoyNews that the cost of almost everything has gone up due to the economic downturn, so they have been left with no option but to increase their charges.
Myjoyonline.com reports one of the sex workers identified simply as Vivian as having lamented how the bad economic situation is having a negative impact on the income they get from their work.
“There has been an increase in goods lately. To pay my rent is difficult now and because of that, I have increased my price.
“Food these days is very expensive. I clothe myself, and the rest of that. So, I can’t reduce my price,” she said as quoted by the news website.
However, she admitted that the hikes in the charges has scared her customers away because they are also bearing the brunt of the same economic hardship.
She pleaded with the government to find a means to remedy the situation to enable their work to flourish, adding that she “was taking ¢200 for short” in December last year, but 2022 has been bad due to the economic challenges.
“Things have become very difficult for us, so they should reduce some of the goods. Even the ones that are on the street and company workers.”
According to the report, many of sex workers say they had been charging ¢50 for a short session that lasts between 15-20 minutes and as much as ¢300 for a full night.
Another one of the sex workers on the streets of Lapaz, a suburb of Accra, disclosed that aside from financial challenges, some of their clients give them a tough time.
“Some people don’t cum quick. If you know you don’t release early you have to give her more money. You have to pay the girl well to make her happy.
“Even though you did him fine, as far as he did not cum he will say you did not do it well and will not pay you more than the agreed price,” she lamented.
Some of the notable areas in Accra where sex workers ply their trade are Lapaz, Cantonments, Osu, and East Legon.
Prostitution is illegal in Ghana, but the law that prohibits it is one of the most flouted as the trade keeps booming and getting more patronage. Once in a while, the police round some of the practitioners up, but they are mostly left off the hook eventually.
Source: PULSE GHANA