We are a powerful force, but we must take care to avoid depleting our most important resource - ourselves. We are experiencing enormous stress as our work increases and our financial resources diminish. I believe that the withdrawal of support women's groups are experiencing is a direct reflection of the threat we present to the established order. We need to join together with other women's groups, to share our strategies and to resist vigilantly, thoughtfully and attentively, at every step and everywhere.

FOOTNOTES

1. Voices Rising, Vol, no, Published by the Women's Program, ICAE, 394 Euclid Ave. Ste. 308, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2S9

2. Convergence, Vol. 23, No.1, Published by the ICAE.

3. Wismer, Susan (1988), Women's Education and Training in Canada. Published by CCLOW.

The International Adult Education Movement and
WOMEN'S EXPLOITATION IN THE SEX TRADE INDUSTRY
A CALL TO ACTION

Introduction

As a group of concerned participants at the International Council for Adult Education's 4th World assembly, we wish to take the opportunity afforded by the democratic process of this organization to make some observations and recommendations about the venue of the Education for All by the Year 2000 conference, also taking place in Thailand in March of this year. Our concerns have arisen from a popular education process which occurred at the 4th World Assembly; We invite you to act on the words and statements we have heard at this meeting, i.e., that democracy, participation and equality begin at home, in our communities and in the structures of our organizations. The issue which we wish to bring to your attention is the problem of women in labour migration and tourist-related sexual exploitation.

Background

It was in the mid-70's that development plans for Third World countries began to promote the tourist industry. The compelling factor was the desperate need for foreign exchange to save from collapse the shaky economies of debt-ridden countries, dependent on the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

The promotion of tourism has resulted in the mushrooming of support structures in the entertainment business: discos, night clubs, massage parlours, hotels and brothels.

Sizeable numbers of men and women are pushed by rural underdevelopment and poverty to the urban centers in search of work. When they arrive in the cities, they find that opportunities to get a job enabling them to earn enough to survive and support their families back home are quite rare. Needless to say, jobs for women are much more scarce than jobs for men. Even jobs such as waitressing or domestic service are becoming harder to find. The only kind of job which always needs more female labour, and which requires no qualifications is providing "service" in the entertainment sector. Usually this implies sexual service as well.

The Vietnam War brought American servicemen to Thailand, promoting the development of the sex industry. After they left Thailand in 1976, tourists replaced them, perpetuating the sex market economy. For example, Pattaya, once a fishing village, became a beach resort and in a very short time became notorious as a sex-tourism spot.

Tourism and prostitution support each other. Sex tours are organized from countries such as Germany, Switzerland, Holland and Japan. Through their brochures, the sex-tour operators tempt customers with prices which are relatively low for people from developed countries. At the same time, they distort some socio-cultural facts about the country of destination in order to save their customers from having feelings of guilt or qualms of conscience. Racist statements against Asian women are not uncommon.