'Why blame the girls'?: Contextual factors enabling juvenile prostitution in a Ghanaian metropolis

Framed by Urie Bronfenbrenners' (1979) ecological systems theory, this paper analyses the contextual factors that facilitate commercial sex work among adolescent girls in a metropolis in Ghana. Focusing on contextual factors rather than individual perspectives, we examined the background of minors involved in sex trade by interviewing 15 juvenile prostitutes (aged 14-17) and several key stakeholders. We explored factors that cause them to engage in prostitution, such as dysfunctional family systems, peer and sibling influence, inadequate accommodation, media influence and fashionable trends, as well as poverty and survival dynamics. An innovative discovery presented in this paper is the strong presence of schools, and resultant young people, as well as tourist attractions and cultural celebrations such as festivals and funerals as drivers of juvenile prostitution in the study site. The paper concludes by recommending a multi-sectoral approach to addressing juvenile prostitution challenges.