A NEW report by Transparency International, released earlier this week to mark International Women’s Day, has revealed a widespread yet largely unaddressed form of corruption known as sextortion. This abuse of power occurs when officials or those in authority coerce individuals into sexual acts in exchange for services, approvals, or protection.
The report highlights a disturbing global pattern, where women and vulnerable groups are disproportionately targeted. From students and refugees to business owners and professionals, victims of sextortion face severe consequences, including psychological trauma, loss of education, job insecurity, and poverty.
Despite its prevalence, sextortion remains largely invisible in legal frameworks. Many countries do not define it as corruption, making prosecution difficult. In some cases, survivors who report sextortion risk being prosecuted for bribery themselves, further silencing victims.
A silent crisis hidden in plain sight
The Transparency International report finds that sextortion is deeply embedded in institutions, affecting sectors such as education, law enforcement, public services, and business regulation.
In education, students have been denied grades or diplomas unless they comply with sexual demands from teachers. Migrant women and refugees, already vulnerable, face sextortion when trying to access food, shelter, or legal documentation. Women seeking permits for businesses or housing often find themselves at the mercy of corrupt officials who demand sexual favours instead of money.
The police and judicial systems are also implicated, with reports of officers threatening women with arrest unless they engage in non-consensual sex. These cases often go unreported due to fear of retaliation, social stigma, and lack of legal protection.
For years, sextortion has remained an unspoken crime, lacking proper legal classification. It does not fit neatly into existing anti-corruption laws, which focus on financial transactions. Similarly, many gender-based violence laws fail to recognise sexual favours as a form of coerced bribery, creating a legal loophole that allows perpetrators to operate with impunity.
Why victims remain silent
One of the biggest challenges in tackling sextortion is underreporting. Survivors often remain silent due to fear, stigma, and legal uncertainty. Many worry they will be blamed rather than protected, especially in societies where speaking out about sexual abuse carries severe social consequences.
In some countries, reporting sextortion can even lead to imprisonment for the victim. Instead of being treated as survivors of abuse, they are charged with offering bribes, reinforcing the cycle of silence. Transparency International highlights this as a serious flaw in current legal frameworks, calling for urgent reforms to protect survivors rather than punish them.
Another challenge is the lack of gender-sensitive reporting mechanisms. Many institutions do not have safe, confidential ways for survivors to report sextortion, nor do they offer psychological or legal support. Without strong protections against retaliation, survivors fear speaking out could cost them their education, employment, or even their safety.
Legal gaps and the need for reform
A major concern raised in the report is that existing laws fail to recognise sextortion as a distinct crime. Most anti-corruption laws focus on financial crimes, ignoring cases where sexual favours replace money as the form of bribery.
Similarly, gender-based violence laws do not cover all aspects of sextortion, especially cases where the coercion is non-physical but still abuses power dynamics. Without clear legal definitions, prosecutors struggle to bring cases to court, leaving victims without justice.
The report calls on governments to develop new laws that explicitly criminalise sextortion, ensuring it is recognised within both anti-corruption and gender-based violence frameworks. It also urges training for judges and law enforcement officers to handle cases sensitively and effectively, preventing survivors from being further victimised.
Breaking the silence: a call for action
Transparency International recommends a multi-pronged approach to combat sextortion, starting with legal reform, public awareness, and safer reporting mechanisms.
Governments must create safe and gender-sensitive reporting channels that protect survivors from retaliation. This includes hotlines, online reporting platforms, and legal assistance services where victims can report abuse without fear of reprisal.
Public awareness campaigns are also crucial. Sextortion is a crime, not a personal failure, and survivors must be encouraged to speak out without shame or fear. Transparency International suggests media campaigns and educational programs to challenge cultural taboos and expose sextortion as a systemic corruption issue.
Another key recommendation is better data collection. The lack of official statistics on sextortion means governments and anti-corruption agencies do not fully grasp the scale of the crisis. By reforming judicial data systems to track sextortion cases, policymakers can develop more effective strategies to combat it.
A global issue that demands urgent attention
As the world marks International Women’s Day, this report serves as a critical reminder that the fight for gender equality must include tackling sextortion as a form of corruption and abuse of power.
For too long, sextortion has remained a hidden crisis, silencing victims and allowing perpetrators to act without consequences. It is time for governments, institutions, and civil society to break the silence, strengthen legal protections, and ensure survivors can seek justice without fear.
Transparency International urges world leaders to act now—because sextortion is corruption, sextortion is abuse, and sextortion must end.
