Prostitution in Maldives is illegal, but occurs on a small scale. A 2014 survey by the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) estimated there were 1,139 female

prostitutes Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-penet ...

on the islands. Some women enter the country posing as tourists but then engage in sex work.

Sex trafficking Sex trafficking is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation. It has been called a form of modern slavery because of the way victims are forced into sexual acts non-consensually, in a form of sexual slavery. Perpetrators of the ...

and

child prostitution Child prostitution is prostitution involving a child, and it is a form of commercial sexual exploitation of children. The term normally refers to prostitution of a minor, or person under the legal age of consent. In most jurisdictions, child ...

are problems in the country.

Closure of spas

Following complaints that sexual services were being offered in spas in hotels, and a protest in the capital,

Malé Malé (, ; dv, މާލެ) is the capital and most populous city of the Maldives. With a population of 252,768 and an area of , it is also one of the most densely populated cities in the world. The city is geographically located at the southern ...

, by the opposition

Adhaalath Party The Adhaalath Party ( dv, ޢަދާލަތު ޕާޓީ; , AP) is a political party in the Maldives. History The AP was registered as a political party in August 2005, when political parties were allowed to operate for the first time following widesp ...

, the government ordered the closure of the spas in 1,000 hotels in late December 2011. Following pressure from the country's tourism industry, president

Mohamed Nasheed Mohamed Nasheed GCSK (; born 17 May 1967) is a Maldivian politician and activist currently serving as the 19th speaker of the People's Majlis since May 2019. A founding member of the Maldivian Democratic Party, he served as President of the ...

lifted the ban a few days later.

Child prostitution

Child prostitution is a problem in the country, especially in Malé and in the

Laamu Atoll Laamu may refer to: * Laamu Atoll, an administrative division of the Maldives. * Laamu, the 14th consonant of the Thaana abugaida used in Dhivehi. {{Disambig ...

region. According to Psychologist Dr Aishath Ali Naaz, it is so common in some areas that its regarded as 'normal'. Often the prostitution is arranged by family members. The HRCM estimate 8% of female prostitutes on the island are underage.

Legal situation

Article 88(a) of the Maldivian Penal Code 1967 includes

Sharia Law Sharia (; ar, شريعة, sharīʿa ) is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition. It is derived from the Five Pillars of Islam, religious precepts of Islam and is based on the Islamic holy books, sacred scriptures o ...

into the country's legislation. Sex outside marriage is outlawed under Sharia Law, as are other forms of 'immorality', therefore prostitution is forbidden. Public order and immigration laws are also used against sex workers. Foreigners who engage in

prostitution Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in Sex work, sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, n ...

can expect to be deported and

Maldivians Maldivians (; ދިވެހިން, ''dhivehin'') are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group and nation native to the historic region of the Maldive Islands comprising what is now the Republic of Maldives and the island of Minicoy in Union Territory of Laks ...

can expect a prison sentence. Whilst

condoms A condom is a sheath-shaped barrier device used during sexual intercourse to reduce the probability of pregnancy or a sexually transmitted infection (STI). There are both male and female condoms. With proper use—and use at every act of inte ...

are allowed to be sold to married couples, they cannot be sold to single people. Condoms and

lubricants A lubricant (sometimes shortened to lube) is a substance that helps to reduce friction between surfaces in mutual contact, which ultimately reduces the heat generated when the surfaces move. It may also have the function of transmitting forces, t ...

are sometimes confiscated by the police and used as evidence of prostitution.

Sex trafficking

The Maldives are a destination country for women, and children subjected to sex trafficking, and a source country for women and children subjected to sex trafficking. A small number of women from Asia, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe, as well as girls from

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...

and Maldives, are subjected to sex trafficking in the Maldives. Maldivian women may be subjected to sex trafficking in

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

. A

Thai Thai or THAI may refer to: * Of or from Thailand, a country in Southeast Asia ** Thai people, the dominant ethnic group of Thailand ** Thai language, a Tai-Kadai language spoken mainly in and around Thailand *** Thai script *** Thai (Unicode block ...

hotelier reported in 2013 that Thai women were being recruited with offers for good jobs in the Maldives, but on arrival being

forced into prostitution Forced prostitution, also known as involuntary prostitution or compulsory prostitution, is prostitution or sexual slavery that takes place as a result of coercion by a third party. The terms "forced prostitution" or "enforced prostitution" appea ...

. The Prevention of Human Trafficking Act (PHTA) criminalises some, but not all forms, of sex trafficking. For the first time, in 2016, the government secured a conviction under the PHTA. Three foreign nationals were each sentenced to 10 years imprisonment in a sex trafficking case. In November 2016, the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau (SLFEB) arrested 2 men in connection with trafficking Sri Lankan women to the Maldives, where they worked in

brothel A brothel, bordello, ranch, or whorehouse is a place where people engage in sexual activity with prostitutes. However, for legal or cultural reasons, establishments often describe themselves as massage parlors, bars, strip clubs, body rub par ...

s. More than 100 women were thought to be involved. A Maldivian man was also being sought. The

United States Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other n ...

Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons The Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (J/TIP) is an agency within the United States Department of State charged with investigating and creating programs to prevent human trafficking both within the United States and internation ...

ranks the Maldives as a ' Tier 2 Watch List' country.

References

{{Asia in topic, Prostitution in Society of the Maldives

Maldives Maldives (, ; dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖެ, translit=Dhivehi Raajje, ), officially the Republic of Maldives ( dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ޖުމްހޫރިއްޔާ, translit=Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa, label=none, ), is an archipelag ...