Prostitution in Angola is illegal [1] [2] and prevalent since the s. Many women engage in prostitution due to poverty. Prostitution is widespread in the oil-rich Cabinda Province , [4] where many American and other foreign nationals work. It is named after its late owner, a sex worker. Human trafficking from China is a major problem, on which the Angolan government is working with the Chinese Police.
Angola hosted the Africa Cup of Nations. There were fears that the increased demand for prostitutes from the visiting fans would lead to a surge in human trafficking. The organising committee, LOC, initially tried to have all the prostitutes removed from the cities hosting games, but this did not prove to be practical. In conjunction with the Health Commission in Angola, they distributed 5 million free condoms to bars, hotels and other strategic locations.
However, it has one of the lowest prevalence rates in the Southern Africa zone. The reluctance to use condoms is a contributing factor. Angola is a source and destination country for women, and children subjected to sex trafficking. Angolan girls as young as 13 years old are victims of sex trafficking.
The provinces of Luanda , Benguela , and the border provinces of Cunene , Namibe , Zaire , and Uige are the most vulnerable to trafficking activities. Angolan women and children are subjected to sex trafficking in South Africa , Namibia , and European countries, including the Netherlands and Portugal. Women from Vietnam and Brazil engaged in prostitution in Angola may be victims of sex trafficking. Some Chinese women are recruited by Chinese gangs and construction companies with promises of work, but later are deprived of their passports, kept in walled compounds with armed guards, and forced into prostitution to pay back the costs of their travel.
Undocumented Congolese migrants, including children, enter Angola for work in diamond-mining districts, where some endure sex trafficking in mining camps.
