Police sometimes harass sex workers and demand bribes or sexual favours. The civil war has left many women in need for wages, so some have resorted to prostitution, as there is high unemployment.
In the capital, Abidjan , most of the prostitutes come from Ghana , Nigeria , Togo , Mali , Senegal and other West African states, [ 7 ] the largest group being from Ghana. In the cities, sex workers have started organisations to protect their interests.
Often they cater for a particular ethnic group. Each organisation has a president and other officers, these are normally older prostitutes who are regarded as "wiser".
Sex Tourism is also a problem in the Ivory Coast. Prior to the arrival of the Europeans, a form of institutional prostitution known as abrakree was prominent among the Southwest Akan of the Gold and Ivory Coasts. The political elite acquired women, usually slaves, to service the sexual needs of the unmarried males.
They were initiated by religious rites and their earnings were controlled by the state. Married men were forbidden to use their services, and punishment was severe. In the s, many French prostitutes came to the country, mainly from Paris and Marseilles. They worked as barmaids at bars and nightclubs, predominately in Abidjan. They charged high fees, but the bar owner took a per-client "air conditioning" commission.
