Health

Sex For Rent Rises With Coronavirus Poverty

Published

3 years ago

May 22, 2020

A growing number of landlords are asking tenants for sex in exchange for housing as coronavirus lockdowns and job cuts have left many struggling to pay their rent, housing experts said.

A survey by the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) of more than 100 fair housing groups combating discrimination across the United States found that 13% had seen an increase in sexual harassment complaints during the coronavirus pandemic.

“If I did not have sex with him, he was going to put me out,” one woman facing eviction by her property manager told the NFHA in an podcast on their website. “As a single mum, I had no choice. I didn’t want to lose my housing.”

Sex for rent has come under growing scrutiny in the United States and Britain in recent years amid spiraling housing costs. Charities have highlighted a rise in online adverts offering rent-free accommodation in exchange for sexual favours.

Under the new coronavirus pandemic, millions of people worldwide have lost jobs or income as lockdowns and travel restrictions have forced many businesses to close their doors.

Authorities in North America and Europe have introduced cash benefits, rent freezes and banned evictions in a bid to protect people from homelessness.

“Folks that are really vulnerable when faced with eviction, especially during a pandemic, they are sometimes faced with impossible choices,” said Morgan Williams, general counsel for the NFHA, which protects tenants against housing discrimination.

“The predators in the housing context … seize upon that vulnerability,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Data on the prevalence of sex for rent is scarce. With limited awareness of the issue, as well as legal ambiguities that mean victims could face prostitution charges, abuses often go unreported and unpunished, housing experts said.

A 2018 survey by the housing charity Shelter England found about 250,000 women in the country had been asked for sexual favours in place of rent in the last five years.

Wera Hobhouse, a British lawmaker who campaigns against ‘sextortion’ – the abuse of power for sexual benefit – said sex for rent was likely to be on the rise as people desperately wanted to stay at home under lockdown.

“The financial difficulty which many across the UK have experienced as a result of COVID-19 will mean that more people will be forced to accept these arrangements as an alternative to being made homeless at the worst possible time,” Hobhouse said.

NFHA’s Williams said many women did not report sexual harassment by landlords over fears they could lose their housing, or because they were struggling with other issues such as poverty.

“Pursuing complaints in the current climate is a difficult thing,” he said.

Kaarin Long, women’s rights attorney for The Advocates for Human Rights, a U.S.-based human rights organisation, said many sex for rent victims were already vulnerable, including sex trafficking survivors, ex-prisoners and ethnic minorities.

“It’s kept under the table, it’s kept quiet because those folks don’t like to work with formal systems because formal systems have not been good to them in the past,” she said.

(www.newsnow.co.uk)

PHOTO: File

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Health

World Hearing Day:Wilbon ENT, Head And Neck Clinic Offers 30 People Free Ear Disease Treatment

Published

6 days ago

March 15, 2023

Editor

The management of Wilbon ENT, Head and Neck Clinic marked the World hearing day with free hearing and ear disease screening to over 30 indigent patients in celebration of the day .

The 2023 World Hearing Day has as its theme: ” Ear and Hearing Care for all ! Let’s make it a reality.”
with theme.

At the event on Saturday, March 4, put together by Medical Director, Wilbon ENT, Head and Neck Clinic , Dr Patrick Okundia said it was an opportunity to give back to the society in the free hearing screening and ear disease treatment.

According to him, over 30 people benefited from the free hearing screening and ear disease treatment.

On his part, a medical expert with the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Dr Eustace Oseghale gave a health talk to
sensitize the public on the need for regular check up on Ear, Nose Throat care.

The beneficiaries were full of praises for the Medical Director, Dr Patrick Okundia .

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Health

UBTH ENT H&N Dept Marks World Hearing Day, Reiterates Commitment To Quality Service Delivery

Published

2 weeks ago

March 5, 2023

Editor

Medical Experts from the Department of Ear Nose Throat Head and Neck Surgery (ENT H&N), University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) have marked the 2023 World Hearing Day with a pledge to provide Ear and hearing care for all.

The 2023 World Hearing Day has as its theme: ” Ear and Hearing Care for all: Let’s make it a reality.”

The Chief Medical Director, University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) , Prof. Darlington Obaseki who acknowledged the good works of the ENT H&N department, reiterated his support for the department in the area of improving ear and hearing care.

Other stakeholders who spoke during the World Hearing Day 2023 highlighted the importance of ear and hearing care.

A cross section of participants at the event.

As part of activities to mark the 2023 World Hearing Day, the ENT H&N team also paid a courtesy call on the Vice Chancellor, University of Benin (UNIBEN), Prof Lilian Salami, who restated her continued support for the sister institution’s medical experts.

Delivering a lecture entitled, ” Ear and Hearing Care for all! Let’s make it a reality” Chief Medical Director, Delta State University Teaching Hospital (DELSUTH), Oghara, Prof. Nekwu Okolugbo noted that the hearing day was key in re-dedicating special attention to issues of Ear and hearing care for all.

The event which climaxed with the hearing screening and free ear treatment, where over 80 patients benefited from the exercise, had in attendance renowned medical Experts who included, Edo Health insurance commission, Dr Owen Omorogbe, and a former commissioner for Health in Edo state, Dr. Patrick Okundia.

Group photograph of medical experts.

Others include, Head Department of Ear Nose Throat Head and Neck Surgery (ENT H&N), University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Dr. Amina Okhakhu, Director General, Edo Health Insurance Commission, Dr. Rock Amegor ,LOC Chairman Dr Eustace Oseghale and the Edo State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Obehi Akoria among others.

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Health

How Nigeria’s High Fertility Rate Promotes Insecurity – Experts

Published

4 weeks ago

February 19, 2023

Editor

Nigeria’s high fertility rate is associated with increased insecurity, banditry, underemployment, and maternal and infant mortality in the country, experts have said.

Nigeria’s fertility rate, which is said to be 5.3 births per woman, is one of the highest in the world.

The fertility rate is the number of children born alive to women during the year as a proportion of the average annual population of women of the same age.

The Chairman of the Association for the Advancement of Family Planning, Dr Ejike Orji, said the growing youth population encouraged insecurity in the country.

“We have this youthful bulge where 72 per cent of the population is under the age of 30. They don’t have jobs, so they can easily be recruited as bandits, kidnappers, religious bigots, ethnic bigots and unscrupulous politicians.

“That is why we have this very terrible insecurity that we have in the country right now, and we have 18.5 million out-of-school children. After that, you see a high level of emigration because young people are finding Nigeria very uncomfortable, and both skilled and unskilled are leaving the country.

“Then, you have armed robbers, kidnappers, and bandits killing people all over the country,” Orji said.

Also, the President of the Association for Reproductive and Family Health, Prof Oladapo Ladipo, said the negative effects of overpopulation were expressed in different ways, including insecurity.

He said, “When you have the nexus of overpopulation, underemployment, inequity, what you have is a growth of radicalism and banditry, and that is what we have now.

“What you need is qualitative reproduction, not quantitative reproduction. Have the number of children you can cater to and bring up in a healthy environment, and provide resources for their education.

“But what we have now is reckless reproduction, and that is why we have so many almajiris. We have many people with certificates but no jobs.

“The government itself is overwhelmed by the population. The number of bed spaces is not enough for the population. The number of institutions is not enough for the youths that are growing up,” he added.

The experts, however, said with free maternal health services and an increase in family planning, funding would reduce the high fertility rate and maternal mortality.

Nigeria’s maternal mortality rate is still among the highest in the world, with an estimated 512 deaths per 100,000 live births, making the country far from achieving the Sustainable Development Goal target of reducing the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births.