The explosion of social media has given rise to numerous prostitution networks in Vietnam. Sex traffickers can now operate with minimal risk by allowing their clients to anonymously select and rate any girls they want on adult forums, social media groups, or instant messaging services. As demand increases, the traffickers relentlessly seek and lure girls under the age of 18, with some as young as 14. This situation raises significant concerns regarding the sexual exploitation of minors.
Many young girls, often due to difficult family circumstances and a lack of social awareness, are particularly vulnerable to human trafficking. Promises of attractive incomes lead them down the path of prostitution. However, once they become entrenched in this occupation, they face numerous obstacles in escaping and returning to a normal life. Beyond the risks of sexually transmitted diseases and severe psychological issues, many also become targets of online violence, as traffickers publicly disseminate their images and personal information on the internet, making it even more challenging for them to reintegrate into society.
According to the Vietnamese government(1), in 2013, there were more than 30,000 individuals involved in prostitution domestically. However, some non-governmental organizations (NGOs)(2) estimate that the actual number could be as high as 300,000. Many of these individuals feel compelled to enter prostitution due to poverty and a lack of employment opportunities. Furthermore, there are numerous cases of women being forced into the sex industry, often through false promises of high-paying jobs.
Additionally, there are instances where some parents have exerted pressure on their daughters to engage in prostitution or have imposed extreme financial demands that leave the girls with no choice but to enter this line of work. In recent years, officials have reported a rise in the exploitation and sexual abuse of children. A UNICEF study(3) in 2011 revealed that children as young as 12 have been forced into prostitution in Vietnam, with the most common ages being 14 to 15.
The story of B serves as a poignant example of this reality; she began working as a prostitute at just 16 years old. After two years, B saved enough money and is now seeking to escape this life. However, she faces possible retaliation from traffickers, struggles to conceal her past, and must particularly overcome the trauma inflicted by her abusive father. All of these challenges present significant barriers that she must navigate to realize her dream of a happy life.
B began working as an in-call escort at the age of 16, which is the legal age for sexual consent in Vietnam. After a physical altercation, she was expelled from school. Her father’s abuse drove her away from her own family. A sex trafficker got to her through an online chatroom and enticed her into prostitution.
B ran away to the city in 2012. She worked various labour jobs to support herself, hoping that her parents would come looking for her one day. B’s parents, on the other hand, never looked for her.
B was initially instructed to stay in a hotel in order to be available for work whenever a customer called. She was moved from hotel to hotel for nearly a year before settling down.
Every working girls is expected to please their handler; they will be rated and priced accordingly.
B typically served an average of 5 to 6 customers each day, primarily during the evenings and at night, though there were days when she attended to more than ten clients
B always leaves the TV and the bathroom lights on so she can go into sleep.
Appointments usually cost between $10 to $25, with sex traffickers taking a 25% commission from each transaction. If clients are dissatisfied, many refuse to pay and may verbally assault the girls. Sex workers are unable to work independently, as they are vulnerable to harassment. Sex traffickers provide them with a semblance of protection from both clients and authorities.
B cares deeply for her mother; should what she does in the city come to light, her family would face isolation and discrimination in their village. B fears that such repercussions could drive her mother to suicide
A mere fraction of working girls commit to regular health examinations, often due to a lack of awareness. While they typically use protection with clients, they are frequently coerced into unprotected sex to satisfy the demands of traffickers. Many customers seek services after abusing drugs and alcohol, which poses additional risks to the girls, particularly regarding STIs safety.
Working girls either keep working until being casted out or try to save as much money as possible and start a new life. For many, the first option is chosen, but B opts for the second option.
B made the decision to return home and complete her high school education. After her brother was killed in a traffic accident, B’s father quitted his job, became engrossed in alcohol, and began physically abusing his family. B’s mother struggles to make ends meet while also covering the cost of his daily alcohol consumption.
B harbors resentment toward her father and blames her mother for her lack of courage. The family discovered that her father was having an affair, which led to a physical confrontation in which he forced B and her mother to live in a storage area and cut off all power to the house. Yet B’s mom cannot bring herself to divorce due to her pride and the stigma surrounding divorced women in rural Vietnam.
B’s cat at home mysteriously vanished one day. B started looking for the cat but eventually gave up. She assumes the cat left in search of a better life.
B’s mom is helping a salesman to install a gas stove in darkness. Without electricity, the gas stove is the only modern appliance that B and her mom can use.
In an effort to improve their family’s income, B is considering purchasing pigs for her mother to raise and sell. However, she hesitates due to a traumatic memory of her father having killed three pigs by freezing them to death after an argument with her mother. The pigsty now contains only dry straw.
B mentions that, despite not earning any money, she finds it easier to fall asleep at night.
A candle serves as their main source of light after dark. B is worried whether she can endure her father’s abuse long enough to complete high school or if she will once again be forced to leave her family.
B shares a close bond with her mother and often teases her as a means of providing comfort and expressing her affection.
