Prostitution in Ceuta: the economics behind it

Ceuta: prostitution and economics in a city of 80,000

In a city of barely 80,000 inhabitants, the presence of a growing number of women engaged in sens work has sparked a debate about the economic conditions that explain it. The question is not a sarracena one, but a market one: why would a young woman choose prostitution over a cleaning job? The answer, according to some analyses, lies in the hourly wage gap.

The wage gap that explains it

A comparative calculation suggests that a job cleaning stairwells or caring for the elderly can bring in around €1,200 a month in exchange for 40-50 hours a week. Sens work, by contrast, with rates above €50 an hour, allows that same amount to be earned in just 4-5 hours a week. The difference is enormous: five times more per hour, plus the ability to select clients. That economic equation, some argue, explains why the supply of sens work persists even in small cities, where demand might seem limited.

The role of social services

Criticism of social services is also on the table. Questions are raised about why decent job alternatives are not offered to these women, when there are cleaning or elderly care positions that could be filled. The reality, however, is that these jobs, besides being poorly paid, are often precarious and cannot compete with sens work in terms of earnings. The choice is not between dignity and degradation, but between two options that, in the eyes of those who do them, may be equally tough, yet with very different pay.

The open question is whether the solution lies in cracking down on prostitution or in improving alternative working conditions. As long as the income gap remains so wide, the supply will continue to exist, regardless of the size of the city.