login




Latest News

Road to Vienna 2010

CVC has embarked on a strategy which is aimed at increasing the number of Caribbean delegates attending the International AIDS Conference in Vienna in 2010. (read more)

AIDS 2010

AIDS 2010 Regional Activities — Working Group Terms of Reference (read more)

World AIDS Week 2009 Universal Access & Human Rights

In keeping with the World AIDS Week 2009 theme of “Universal Access & Human Rights,” we will highlight some of the Caribbean’s initiatives aimed at increasing access to treatment for and championing the human rights of members of vulnerable communities who are part of the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition (CVC) (read more)

CVC and CTAG’s Access to Treatment Day 2009

The Caribbean Treatment Action Group (CTAG) observes the second Annual Access to Treatment Day (November 29, 2009) with activities in Caribbean countries of – Haiti, Belize, Jamaica, Curacao and St. Lucia.(read more)

CVC Appointments

CVC announces the appointment of:

Board

    1. Dr. Marcus Day and Dr. Robert Carr as the Co-Chairs of the Board of Directors. Mr. Leonardo Sanchez and Dr. Rohan Lewis have also been appointed as Board Treasurer and Secretary respectively.
    2. The appointment of Ms. Ethel Pengel (Suriname), Mrs. Dona Da Coast de Martinez (Trinidad & Tobago) and Mr. Max Milner (Guadeloupe) to the Board of Directors.
The total Board compliment is Mario Kleindmoidg, Santo Rosario, Joan Didier, Veronica Cenac, Marcus Day, Robert Carr, Leonardo Sanchez, Rohan Lewis, John Waters, Ethel Pengel, Dona Da Coast de Martinez, Max Milner
    3. Mrs. Juanita Altenburg as Honorary Board Member
Executive

Mr. Ian McKnight as the Executive Director (read more)



Suzette Moses-Burton wins inaugural Juanita Altenberg Award for Excellence

CVC announced that St. Maarten based human rights activist Suzette Moses-Burton is the winner of the inaugural Juanita Altenberg Award for Excellence (read more)


Press Releases

CVC Human Rights Consultation

The Juanita Altenberg Award for Excellence (Nov 5, 2009)

Violence Against Sex Workers
(Nov 17, 2009)


Quick Links

• Human Rights

• Sex Workers

• Men who have Sex with Men

• Substance Users

• Publications and Resources

• Working Group Registration Form


Sex Workers

The phenomenon of sex work in the Caribbean is at least as old as the settlement of the region and the forced enslavement of human beings that came with it. Sex work in the 16 th century and beyond is well documented, and continues to be a staple of Caribbean societies today. In a region dominated by underdevelopment, poor educational systems, poverty and gender inequality, men and women turn to sex work as a means of securing a livelihood and economic independence.

The regional sex trade is driven by both local and tourist demands. In many places, women from the Dominican Republic, Guyana and Jamaica, among other countries, are known to cross borders in search of a living. Women from Eastern Europe are also part of the sex trade, with some clubs offering sex with them a part of business to a niche clientele, with women travelling to sell sex from as far North as the Dominican Republic to as far South as Suriname.

Because the sex trade is a marginal activity in most places, human rights abuses against sex workers is common, especially in the English and Spanish speaking territories. Moreover, sex workers have little or no recourse to the law for protection, unless they are able to hide their status as sex workers.

In a region where sexual initiation often comes early, child sex work is also common. From the sanky panky sex work in the Dominican Republic, to the streets of Kingston and Port of Spain, teenage sex work is commonplace in the Caribbean. An added feature of the Caribbean sex trade is substance use, inclusive of the smoking of marijuana and the taking of “ecstasy". Of even greater concern is the crack epidemic, which often features women selling sex to feed their habit.
Caribbean Vulnerable Communities © 2008-2009 | Privacy Policy