The precarity of mobile loan debt and repayment among female sex workers in Nairobi, Kenya: Implications for sexual health

Financial technology tools have been utilised to create readily available mobile loan platforms for urban-based, daily-wage earners in Kenya. From a financial lending perspective, this development signals greater inclusion and equality in formal bank financing systems. In this paper, however, we exa...

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Main Authors: Pascal Macharia, Samantha Moore, Matthew Thomann, Peninah Mwangi, Bernadette Kombo, Regine King, Lisa Lazarus, Robert Lorway
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2023-01-01
Series:Global Public Health
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17441692.2023.2184484
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author Pascal Macharia
Samantha Moore
Matthew Thomann
Peninah Mwangi
Bernadette Kombo
Regine King
Lisa Lazarus
Robert Lorway
author_facet Pascal Macharia
Samantha Moore
Matthew Thomann
Peninah Mwangi
Bernadette Kombo
Regine King
Lisa Lazarus
Robert Lorway
author_sort Pascal Macharia
collection DOAJ
description Financial technology tools have been utilised to create readily available mobile loan platforms for urban-based, daily-wage earners in Kenya. From a financial lending perspective, this development signals greater inclusion and equality in formal bank financing systems. In this paper, however, we examine mobile loans and their repayment from the perspective of women who sell sex in Nairobi, drawing upon the qualitative findings of two community-based studies conducted in close collaboration with sex worker-led organisations serving the sexual health needs of their peers. Our findings suggest that mobile loans may undermine the financial security strategies and economic independence of sex workers, leaving these women in more precarious economic circumstances, which have been shown in other instances to have effects on sexual risk taking and vulnerability to HIV infection.
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spelling doaj.art-3507f071826f442f87112a34c6ba64462023-09-21T13:56:58ZengTaylor & Francis GroupGlobal Public Health1744-16921744-17062023-01-0118110.1080/17441692.2023.21844842184484The precarity of mobile loan debt and repayment among female sex workers in Nairobi, Kenya: Implications for sexual healthPascal Macharia0Samantha Moore1Matthew Thomann2Peninah Mwangi3Bernadette Kombo4Regine King5Lisa Lazarus6Robert Lorway7Health Options for Young Men Against STI/HIV/AIDSUniversity of ManitobaUniversity of Maryland at College ParkBar Hostess Empowerment and Support ProgramUniversity of ManitobaUniversity of CalgaryUniversity of ManitobaUniversity of ManitobaFinancial technology tools have been utilised to create readily available mobile loan platforms for urban-based, daily-wage earners in Kenya. From a financial lending perspective, this development signals greater inclusion and equality in formal bank financing systems. In this paper, however, we examine mobile loans and their repayment from the perspective of women who sell sex in Nairobi, drawing upon the qualitative findings of two community-based studies conducted in close collaboration with sex worker-led organisations serving the sexual health needs of their peers. Our findings suggest that mobile loans may undermine the financial security strategies and economic independence of sex workers, leaving these women in more precarious economic circumstances, which have been shown in other instances to have effects on sexual risk taking and vulnerability to HIV infection.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17441692.2023.2184484mobile loanssex workkenyasexual healthprecaritydebt
spellingShingle Pascal Macharia
Samantha Moore
Matthew Thomann
Peninah Mwangi
Bernadette Kombo
Regine King
Lisa Lazarus
Robert Lorway
The precarity of mobile loan debt and repayment among female sex workers in Nairobi, Kenya: Implications for sexual health
Global Public Health
mobile loans
sex work
kenya
sexual health
precarity
debt
title The precarity of mobile loan debt and repayment among female sex workers in Nairobi, Kenya: Implications for sexual health
title_full The precarity of mobile loan debt and repayment among female sex workers in Nairobi, Kenya: Implications for sexual health
title_fullStr The precarity of mobile loan debt and repayment among female sex workers in Nairobi, Kenya: Implications for sexual health
title_full_unstemmed The precarity of mobile loan debt and repayment among female sex workers in Nairobi, Kenya: Implications for sexual health
title_short The precarity of mobile loan debt and repayment among female sex workers in Nairobi, Kenya: Implications for sexual health
title_sort precarity of mobile loan debt and repayment among female sex workers in nairobi kenya implications for sexual health
topic mobile loans
sex work
kenya
sexual health
precarity
debt
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17441692.2023.2184484
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