Brazil Bent on Driving a Wedge into Sexual Tourism

For Jacqueline de Sousa Leite, counselor on social affairs for the Brazilian state of Bahia, efforts to stave off sexual tourism in any country call for awareness and information campaigns. And that´s exactly what Brazilian authorities are determined to do.

On a recent visit to Madrid, Mrs. Sousa explained her country is determined to put an end to this practice by targeting abuses against women and minors. “Men involved in sexual tourism don´t come looking for prostitutes, but rather for a free chance to take advantage of women by means of misleading practices. These women are usually lured through tour guides or false pledges of marriage, and they wind up being abused,” Mrs. Sousa went on to say.

The Brazilian high-ranking official is an active member of the Humanitarian Center for Women Support, a Bahia-based NGO that has been advocating for women´s rights for over ten years.

According to reports issued by other non-governmental organizations, most sexual predators seek poverty-stricken, unemployment-laden destinations in the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, Africa and Central America.