I was recently riding around town with one of our female, Cambodian staff. Her name is Dalya. I really like this lady. She is smart, ambitious and an excellent worker. She is in her late 20's, married, has two boys and is currently working on her master's degree. I think she has a bright future.
I wanted to get a local perspective on the brothel business. It is impossible to drive around Phnom Penh and not see brothels in nearly every neighborhood. At night, they are even more noticeable as they are usually the only businesses open after 7:30pm. As a Cambodian woman, what does she think about all the brothels? Her answer has stuck with me.
D: None of the wives like brothels. When men start visiting those places, they stop thinking about their families.
Insightful. When visiting a brothel, men are spending money that should be going to their families at the brothels. Men are spending time that should be with their families at the brothel. The one thing no one knows how to successfully do is curb the demand. Traffickers would move on to other businesses if this one weren't so lucrative. Every major religion (Christianity, Islam and Buddhism) teaches fidelity as a key tenant to righteous living. I think one way to help stop human trafficking is to encourage marital fidelity and upholding marriage vows of remaining faithful to one spouse.
In this part of the world, most men have their first sexual experience in a brothel. Despite the attention given to sex tourism, local demand is really what keeps these businesses alive. A recent study showed that 70% of those who visit brothels are local and often government officials who should be uphold laws outlawing such behavior.
How do we create a culture where manhood is defined by virtues like being a good husband and father, rather than by sexual conquest?
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