Sex Industry & The Caribbean

The Caribbean is sought after for it's beautiful beaches, warm climate and unadmittedly on a large scale, erotic encounters. Kamala Kempadoo's 1999 publication Sun, Sex, and Gold: Tourism and Sex Work in the Caribbean, identifies the region as the 'brothel' of Europe and in recent times it has extended its client base to the United States.

Further documentation is found through the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities group stating, " In a region dominated by underdevelopment, poor educational systems, poverty and gender inequality, men and women turn to sex work as a means of securing a livelihood and economic independence."

The very nature of the industry has driven it far into the shadows, making it as Charles Lewis describes it, an uncontrollable force, drastically in need of structure and order.

Sex Trade Impact (STI) was founded by Charles Lewis in 2008 as a catalyst for change. This change which the founder of STI has envisioned will start with the destigmitization of sex workers in the region, opening the door to effectively managing many of the negative aspects of the Sex Trade Industry and hopefully eliminating or tempering the impact on the region. STI is personified by Mr. Lewis' 25 years of experience in the industry and is equipped to facilitate, train and more importantly offer a forum for the different entities directly and indirectly affected by the Sex Industry.

Through a series of seminars, STI will introduce for the first time, pertinent issues for open discussion, offering the public and private sector organizations the vast knowledge of our guest speakers, carefully selected for their outstanding contributions and work in areas such as health care, human rights, law enforcement and immigration. These seminars will also give those attending a rare insight into the multi-faceted world of the sex trade and how their organizations are daily utilized to sustain this growing industry.

STI is determined to not only assist organizations in protecting their credibility, reputation and sustainable income, against the harmful backlash of the Sex Industry, but also seeks to remind the region of the many people behind the industry, who are looked upon as devoid of rights and privilege.

These individuals also need to be protected from the negative impact of the Sex Trade and only through education and empowerment, will both sides of the industry be able to find solutions.