A significant number of married women in Arua District and Arua City are engaging in commercial sex work, according to a recent survey by Makerere University School of Public Health.
The study, which surveyed 640 sex workers in the area, revealed that 40% of the women involved are either married or cohabiting. Among them, 9% are officially married, while 31% are in cohabiting relationships.
Socio-economic hardship is at the heart of this trend. Bernard Amaga, Arua City’s Health Educator and HIV Focal Person, attributes the rising number of married women in the sex trade to economic pressures.
Many of these women, facing financial struggles, turn to sex work as a means to supplement household income, often because their husbands are already burdened with high living costs such as school fees and home construction.
Amaga noted that 30% of the sex workers surveyed are HIV positive, compounding the challenges these women face.
Economic desperation is not the only factor. Judith Bako, the Deputy Resident City Commissioner for Arua, cited the high prevalence of HIV in border districts like Arua, due to the frequent movement of non-nationals. Bako urged local leaders to allocate part of their revenue to HIV prevention programs.
Meanwhile, Dona Aseru Abiniku, Chairperson of the National Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS (NACWOLA), pointed out that social pressures, such as the desire to keep up with lifestyle trends, also drive some women into sex work. She emphasized the need for couples to embrace counseling as a way to cope with life’s challenges without resorting to risky behavior.
Authorities in Arua are working with development partners to offer HIV testing, counseling, and financial support for vulnerable groups. However, community leaders have called for more relaxed access to government poverty-alleviation programs to provide sustainable economic alternatives for these women.