UN spotlights 'survival sex' among Iraqi women refugees

[Barrett808]

Source: AFP

UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - A UN official on Tuesday underscored the growing problem of "survival sex" among Iraqi women refugees as advocates pressed the world community to help share the burden of sheltering those who have fled the war in Iraq.

Erika Feller, an assistant high commissioner for protection at the UN refugee agency UNHCR, said attention must be paid to the plight of women refugees in countries neighboring Iraq, particularly Syria.

Feller, who recently visited Syria, singled out the resurgence of problems such as "weekend marriages," a euphemism for prostitution.

Families make available young girls for "a traditional marriage ceremony" for the weekend to men who are prepared to pay and "the divorce takes place on Sunday in accordance to traditional practices," she explained.

"So it's not formally speaking labelled as prostitution but it is basically survival sex," she told reporters, noting that those women, particularly single women heading households, had often no other choice to feed their children.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071113/wl_mideast_afp/uniraqrefugeessyria

[Hulk]

1. Are these the Iraqi's that are thrilled with their new democracy that the chimp was talking about?

Sad. War and killing can do that to people. Survival is an ugly picture in such situations. This monster running this screwed up country is totally to blame for this. And yet he and vannity "pray" everynight.

May they rot in hell for eternity.

[liberalla]

2. Weekend marriages?

I'd read about the problem of Iraqi women being forced into the sex trade to get by and feed their children, but this "weekend marriage" term is new to me. Well, It sounds nicer than prostitution... I guess the practice of renaming things to make them more appealing is not limited to Repubs. :sarcasm:


I swear, I am so horrified by the actions of my government and the far, far, far reaching consequences of those actions. They have done so much damage.

[ManiacJoe]

3. "Weekend marriage" is a technicality to get around

the Muslim ban on sex outside of marriage.

[liberalla]

4. Yes, I understand that.

It's the terminology that is new to me. It sounds really nice. Calling it weekend marriage makes it sound harmless and pleasant.

Heck, I'd consider marriage if I knew it was for only 2 days!
Do I want to sell my body this weekend? No, not so much.

[gateley]

5. I'm ashamed of my government. I share your horror. nt

[DCKit]

6. Prostitution is a natural progression from graft, drug and gun running.

Bought to you by BushCo.