PROSTITUTION IN GHANA, ITS RELIGIOUS AND ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS: THE CASE OF SOME SELECTED PLACES IN GHANA

ABSTRACT

The study was conducted to investigate the religious and ethical implications of prostitution in Ghana. The purpose of the study was to examine why prostitution still persists in spite of condemnation by some religious groups.

Six selected communities, where mining and industrial activities are done, comprising 53 respondents and interviewees (50 prostitutes and 3 religious leaders) were used and this was done using the purposive and snowball sampling techniques, in the selection of respondents and interviewees. The researcher used a-five-point Likert scale format and semi-structured interview guide as the main instruments for the data collection.

The major findings of the study indicated that prostitution persists among religious people in Ghana. People go into prostitution for different reasons ranging from financial to psychological needs. People engage in religious activities for reasons other than spiritual upliftment. Therefore, there are religious and ethical implications of prostitution which need urgent attention by the religious communities in Ghana. The study, therefore, recommends that religious institutions should look beyond spiritual enhancement of their members and also attend to the individual physical and psychological needs as well.