Paradoxes in Action: Lived Perspectives of Irregular, Nigerian Sex Workers in Spain

Author: Tabuteau-Harrison, Sophie; Allen-Collinson, Jacquelyn & Mewse, Avril

Abstract: Despite highly vocal concerns regarding modern slavery, there remains a need for fine-grain research about irregular migratory phenomena, particularly the voices of those trafficked for sex work. This ethnographic study sought to address this lacuna by investigating the lived experiences of 19 Nigerian Edo women working as streetwalkers and madams in Spain. We discuss the women’s perspectives on irregular migration and resettlement, which span wide-ranging psychosocial, sexual, cultural, and spiritual phenomena. Eight seeming paradoxes run through the women’s accounts, including how some distinguish migrant sex work from sex trafficking, and perceive it as taking social transformation into their own hands. Here, we focus on the women’s insights drawn from contextualized, lived experiences, and their strong desire to ensure future generations of Edo women do not follow in their footsteps. We argue that it is vital to consider marginalized migratory populations as “the experts” if we are to understand the local issues and root causes of trafficking, and help inform realistic, reliable, and achievable response strategies.

Keywords: sex trafficking, migrant sex work, Nigerian women sex workers, ethnographic research