‘They demand sex in exchange for fish’: Women affected by Trump’s USAID cuts at risk of exploitation

In remote fishing villages in Zambia hit by poverty and drought, women and girls are falling victim to exploitative practices where fishermen pressure them into sex in exchange for fish.

“They don’t ask for money,” said Martha*, a fish trader in Zambia who experienced this first hand: “They demand sex.”

Since 2023, international charity ActionAid has run a programme to target these exploitative practices in the western provinces of Zambia and further afield.

But the Trump administration’s blanket cut of US foreign aid programmes has crippled projects like this one worldwide, which were providing vital protection for women and girls suffering gender-based violence.

In December, the programme – entitled Resilient Inclusive Sustainable Environment (RISE) – received $400,000 (£309,000) in funding from USAID via the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to extend the project for another two years and expand it in remote villages across Zambia.

But when US president Donald Trump entered office in January and froze global aid, on-the-ground projects went into panic.

The RISE programme, which protected women and girls through preventative and direct measures, was shut down immediately.

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The loss of the programme highlights just one way in which women and girls worldwide will suffer from the sudden cuts to global aid; with millions already losing access to contraception, HIV care and midwives.

Faides TembaTemba, the country director for Action Aid Zambia, warns that the sudden halt of operations has damaged trust and hindered the charity’s ability to implement new programmes in the future.

“For us this was a very unique project, and we hoped we were going to make a lot of positive change. Especially since some of these areas are so difficult to penetrate,” Ms TembaTemba tells The Independent.

Families in this village in the Western Province of Zambia, kept anonymous for the women’s safety, rely on fish as the primary source of income and food security in the area.

Environmental crises such as the extreme recent droughts have made farming unsustainable; meaning that the fish trade becomes all the more essential to survive.

All the while, the ongoing droughts have made fish more scarce.

“Women don’t have enough purchasing power; and for those that refuse sex, their business in the fish trade is restricted,” explains Ms TembaTemba.

While the men go out fishing for the day to bring back food, the women are mostly responsible for buying and selling fish at the markets. The women often have to camp overnight away from home to have first access to the fish when the boats arrive in the morning.

In remote fishing villages, men hold the resources and the power. And women are often forced into exploitative relationships.

“The power lies with the fishermen. This creates perpetual vulnerability among women, in terms of violence, risk of [sexual] diseases, and also pregnancy,” says Ms TembaTemba.

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In some cases, men increase the price of the fish to unpayable amounts, in order to force the women into sex or else go home empty-handed. In others, cheaper prices will be offered. Sometimes the fishermen will not accept money at all, instead demanding sex.

The fishermen lure women outside of the market to “settle the transaction”, says Ms TembaTemba.

Palekelo*, a woman which ActionAid worked with through their programme, turned to the fish trade when farming was no longer an option.

“The fisherman told me I could come with my money but if I didn’t pass by his house to spend the night, I was not going to get any fish,” she said.

Now, Palekelo is a member of a watch group set up by the programme, to help protect other women like her from being exploited.

“I’ve faced fear and difficulties in the fish trade. It’s not easy for me as a woman,” she said.

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The consequences for women in Zambia who have been forced into non-consensual or transactional sex are manifold, and go beyond the physical and emotional impacts.

Women in remote villages face a culture of shame when it comes to sexual assault and rape; which leads many to hide their experience rather than report it to the authorities.

“You become a laughing stock in the community,” adds Ms TembaTemba.

What’s more, the shame of this sexual exploitation extends to their husbands, she explains; many of whom would divorce their wives if the incidents became public.

“These women always suffer a double tragedy. Their husbands know exactly what is happening in these fish camps. They enjoy the income the woman is bringing back to the table, but at the same time abuse them, because of their reputation.”

In a community like this one, divorce can be ruinous; since divorcées are labelled as “prostitutes” by other women, and men hold the monopoly on land ownership and economic opportunities.

“First and foremost, the men are mostly the breadwinners. In these remote places, most of the land is owned by men,” said Ms TembaTemba. “If you are divorced, you have no access to land, and your food security is affected.”

Martha*, 38, now raises awareness of the predatory practices among the fishermen and traders; warning that the exploitation is commonplace but unspoken, even among the women.

“The sex for fish exchange practice is rampant. We all know it, but it can’t be discussed openly,” said Martha.

Targeting such ingrained exploitative practices is challenging, particularly in remote areas.

ActionAid’s project brought together multiple community groups to raise awareness of sexual exploitation and how to identify it, and created community watch groups to keep women safe.

The project gave training to local women on how to negotiate and protect themselves from manipulative tactics, as well as raising awareness among fishermen to foster a culture of understanding.

“In southern Africa in general, social norms mean that women are looked at as sex objects. We wanted to engage with men and boys to address harmful gender norms, and promote positive masculinity,” said Ms TembaTemba.

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There was also a strong focus on encouraging women to report instances of sexual exploitation or rape, working with authorities to target gender-based violence, and collaborating with local Christian groups to provide safe houses and refuges in instances of danger.

In 2024 alone, Zambia faced more than 42,000 reported cases of gender-based violence; which ActionAid warns is just the “tip of the iceberg”.

But now, like many others, the RISE project has come to an abrupt stop, putting the future of women and girls around the world into uncertainty.

“The reckless decision to slash USAID funding is having an immediate and severe impact on the world’s most vulnerable,” said ActionAid USA’s executive director, Niranjali Amerasinghe.

“This is not about efficiency; it’s about a callous disregard for those in need, driven by political maneuvering and the influence of an unelected billionaire. Aid must be restored immediately.”

*Names have been changed at request