“You are merely a Nigerian prostitute”: Sexual stigma and labeling of Nigerian victims of trafficking in Italy.

Abstract

Considering the high number of Nigerian women in prostitution in Italy, many of whom are forced into it as victims of trafficking, this population is often confronted with negative perceptions and stigmas, and constantly experiences “sexual stigma.” Owing to the stigmatization and racial profiling that they encounter while traveling to Italy via the central Mediterranean route, they become more vulnerable to exploitation and different forms of abuse. However, little is known about the extent of the stigma, in particular, sexual stigma that these women and girls are confronted with during their migration journeys, after escaping the trafficking networks, and how they attempt to cope with these experiences. Using an intersectional approach which includes the participants’ identity as women and girls/female and Black, we analyzed the narratives of young Nigerian women and girls in Italy, as part of a longitudinal, qualitative study. Our findings show that these women and girls were and still are confronted with frequent and overt expressions of stigma and labeling, in particular sexual stigma, relating to participants’ gender, nationality, Blackness, and (perceived) migratory status. Constantly being approached to do the forced prostitution work that they escaped, they either avoid and isolate themselves from the Italian society or try to accept stigma as part of their daily realities. Demonstrating the far-reaching prevalence of (sexual) stigma in the lives of these women and girls, this will hopefully inform practitioners and policymakers about the impact and ripple effects of stigma and labeling, and the urgent need for relevant interventions.

It Happened in the Desert, in Libya and in Italy: Physical and Sexual Violence Experienced by Female Nigerian Victims of Trafficking in Italy

“…While the participants described the rituals with disgust, solemnity, and even sadness, none referred to them as violent or brutal. It was almost as if they were not considered violence because they were not beaten or raped and, thus, considered as a spiritual covenant alone, not an example of brutality [43].…”

She said this might be God’s way of taking care of us. Family involvement in human trafficking

“…Academic research on irregular migration and human trafficking from Nigeria has documented some of the root causes, such as poverty, governmental corruption and unemployment (Aghatise, 2005;Braimah, 2013;Stephen, 2013), illustrated why people migrate through smuggling and trafficking networks (Olaniyi, 2011), and Nigerian migrant women's ongoing responsibilities (including financial) towards family members and children left behind, highlighting the importance of family ties (Kastner, 2007(Kastner, , 2010. Moreover, scholars have revealed the experiences and situation of Nigerian women working in prostitution in destination countries (Adeyinka et al, 2021a(Adeyinka et al, , 2021bBreuil et al, 2011;Esposito et al, 2016;Plambech, 2014), demonstrating the connection between global production networks, unfree labour, supply chains and labour rights protection (McGrath, 2013;Yea, 2015). Studies also addressed the role of "madams" (female traffickers, most of Sarah Adeyinka, Ine Lietaert and Ilse Derluyn are all based at the Department of Social Work and Social Pedagogy, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium.…”

“…whom were formerly trafficked) and the use of juju [1] as a control mechanism (Adeyinka et al, 2021a;Ikeora, 2016;Nagle and Owasanoye, 2016;Siegel, 2007). Following Hynes (2010), these findings show how trafficking must be considered as a process, with interconnected phases, hereby arguing for a relationally geographical approach of this phenomenon (Blazek et al, 2018;Lewis et al, 2015).…”

Introduction to the special issue on intersectionality in Stigma and Health research.

“…One focus, amplifying the voices of multiply marginalized groups , has long been an intersectional project to confront intersectional invisibility. First, Adeyinka et al (2023) use an intersectional approach to analyze the sexual stigma experienced by Black, Nigerian girls and women who had previously been trafficked as minors in migration to Italy. Given the global problem of nearly 28 million people currently in forced labor, and women and girls being particularly vulnerable to sex trafficking (International Labour Organization, 2022), the article reveals the urgent need for psychologists to use an intersectional approach that frames how systems of oppression construct well-being and development.…”