Prostitution in Botswana is not illegal, but laws such as public disorder, vagrancy, loitering and state recognised religious provisions are used to prosecute prostitutes. Prostitution is widespread and takes place on the street , bars, hotels, brothels and the cabs of long-distance trucks. Law enforcement is weak, inconsistent and corrupt.
Sex workers report routine violence and extortion by the police. The Gaborone West shopping complex and the streets surrounding it, are the main area of prostitution in the capital, Gaborone. The majority of the prostitutes in both cities are from Zimbabwe. Although homosexuality is stigmatised in the country, male prostitution is on the increase in Botswana, especially in Gaborone, Palapye , Francistown, Maun , Kasane and Kazungula.
The following items of the Penal Code of Botswana criminalises, or is used to criminalise, prostitution and related activities: [ 1 ] [ 12 ]. The Anti-Human Trafficking Act criminalises all forms of trafficking, essentially tracking international law and making it a crime to use force, fraud or coercion for the purpose of exploitation. Feminist activists including Resego Kgosidintsi have pushed for the legalization of sex work in Botswana as a method of decreasing secrecy and violence against women.
The national HIV prevalence rate among adults ages 15 to 49 is In it was reported sex workers have an HIV prevalence of Sex workers report that many clients are reluctant to use condoms. Some will pay more for unprotected sex, others use violence. Botswana is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children subjected to sex trafficking. Residents of Botswana most vulnerable to trafficking are unemployed women, the rural poor, agricultural workers, and children.
Botswana girls and women are possibly exploited in prostitution within the country, including in bars and by truck drivers along major highways. Some women may be subjected to trafficking internally or transported from neighbouring countries and subjected to sexual exploitation. Undocumented migrant Zimbabwean children might be vulnerable to trafficking in Botswana. There has been no comprehensive international or domestic study of trafficking trends within the country.
