Risk-coping through sexual networks: evidence from client transfers in Kenya

Jonathan Robinson and Ethan Yeh

No 5582, Policy Research Working Paper Series from The World Bank

Abstract: Why do women engage in transactional sex? While much of the explanation is that sex-for-money pays more than other jobs, this paper uses a unique panel dataset constructed from 192 self-reported diaries of sex workers in Western Kenya to show that women who supply transactional sex develop relationships with regular clients, and that these clients send transfers in response to negative income shocks. Regular clients are the primary source of inter-person insurance that women receive, and women report in a separate survey that client transfers are an important reason that they participate in the market.

Keywords: Population Policies; Gender and Law; Adolescent Health; Gender and Health; Population&Development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011-02-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-afr, nep-dev and nep-hme
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Related works:
Journal Article: Risk-Coping through Sexual Networks: Evidence from Client Transfers in Kenya (2012)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:5582

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