Society is said to be free when the well being of its people both morally and academically is guaranteed. The spike in sexual immorality among youths is worrisome as it negatively affects their ambitions. The preponderant cases of rape and sexual harassments which women at tender ages encounter are consequences of uncontrollable sexual urge of poorly trained males. Some brothels have metamorphosed to central grounds with component units in every nook and cranny; unfortunately, the strumpets that could be found there are majorly teenagers.
As a result of parental and government’s negligence, young girls that should be in school pursuing their education are left to the mercy of prostitution for their livelihood; most of those patronizing them would not be happy if their daughters or relatives were victims. Teenagers are future mothers and fathers, their lust and deviation from good societal norms and values are clear indications that the future generation would breed illegitimate descendents. Prostitution starts one develops the idea of using his or her sexual organ to earn a living. One thing not known to many is that there some boys that engage in prostitution not to pay but to be paid by independent women called ‘Sugar Mommies’.
The lavish lifestyle of some girls from rich families influence over-zealous ladies do all it takes to be like them; impatient to live in accordance with their status pushes them into prostitution as means of income and fame. Prostitution is caused by many factors some of which include forced marriage: some parents choose life-partners for their daughters based on wealth or promises made when would-be couples are infants. And when these children grow up, such parents go ahead with their marriage irrespective of whether their children love each other or not. These teenage daughters usually elope and live on their own in other cities than to marry the choices of their parents. Sadly, only few of them engage in fruitful ventures while the majority goes into prostitution to survive.
Furthermore, the maltreatment daughters receive after the death of their mothers from their father’s wives is also a major factor; most house chores like cleaning the house, washing utensils, cooking and host of others are usually done by daughters whose mothers are no more and allowing their daughters relax but treat them kindly in the presence of male parents. Peers lure friends into whatever they do gradually; prostitutes at times wear expensive attires, consume their desired cuisines and drive all sorts of cars which make shallow-thinking ladies take prostitution as fruitful venture and indulge in it. Parents should be the first role model children learn life lessons from before the outside world; they are to act as watchdogs over activities of children initially from home.
To curb prostitution, the following measures need to be taken; the irrelevance of forced marriage is more than its worth; women should be allowed to marry men they truly love in-so-far they are people of good characters and have one or more ways of acceptable income so as not to be liability after the marriage. Also, extreme love of luxuries and trying to be rich through daughters by some parents must be extirpated; hawking which some parents send their daughters and sons undermine their dignity and lives, as they enroll in sex for money if what they are hawking are not sold. Co-wives should try and treat all daughters fairly because nobody knows what tomorrow holds, they would not be happy if others maltreat and continue putting their own daughters in agony after their demise.
In conclusion, both male and female repentant prostitutes should be put on skill acquisitions so as to be self-employed and reunited with their families; relatives must be warned against stigmatizing or intimidating them because that could compel them to re-engage the abandoned act. Inability of some parents in providing essentials for family members has forced daughters in doing whatever they like including prostitution just to meet-up their needs. Therefore, parents should not solely rely on one source of income; they should find other alternatives like establishing business chains and leaders at all levels should financially support them. Religious preachers have thousands of followers, they could help in convincing them to do what are right and leaders on the other hand could play key roles by making laws which would punish prostitutes and their sponsors.
Saheeb Olayindamola Rotiaf,
Maiduguri, Borno state
