Turkey

Level 2

Same-Sex Sexual Activity

 Legal since 1858[38]

Level: 7 Fully Enabled to terminate unborn children

1.Life=R ; 2.Health=R ; 3.Mental=R ; 4.Rape=1 ; 5.Defect=R ; 6.Social=1 ;

7.Demand=1 ;

Turkey

Fully prostitution enabled,

Population: 76,805,524

Prostitution: Legal
Requires registering and attending clinics for regular examinations. Must carry identity card indicating the dates of his or her health checks. Health checks can be as often as twice a week. Sexworkers cannot be married and their children are barred from occupying high rank in the army or police, or marrying persons of such rank, although they can work in other areas of government service.

Brothel Ownership: Limited Legality
Official brothels in Turkey are state-run. The Turkish penal code states that it is illegal to shelter a person for prostitution.

Pimping: Illegal

"...[A] special unit in the Prime Ministry's Human Rights Department will begin a project aimed at giving prostitutes the opportunity to find alternative employment, the daily Aksam reported Sunday.

Sociologists and psychologists interviewed 3,000 registered prostitutes working at brothels to determine whether they have been forced into the job and whether they would prefer another line of employment.

There are 15,000 registered prostitutes in Turkey, 3,000 of whom work in 56 brothels. There are an estimated 100,000 unregistered prostitutes in the country."

"International Women's Day to Be Marked around Country," Hürriyet Daily News, Mar. 7, 2010

Bahrain

Level 1

Same-Sex Sexual Activity

 Legal since 1976[38] (Age of consent discrepancy)

Level: 7 Fully Enabled to terminate unborn children

1.Life=Y ; 2.Health=Y ; 3.Mental=Y ; 4.Rape=Y ; 5.Defect=Y ; 6.Social=Y ;

7.Demand=Y ;

Bahrain

Prostitution: illegal

Prostitution in Bahrain is illegal but has gained a reputation in the Middle East as major destination for sex tourism.

Iran

Level 1

Laws Concerning Gender Identity/expression

 Legal gender recognition in Iran is legal if accompanied by a medical intervention.[238]

Level: 1

1.Life=Y ; 2.Health=N ; 3.Mental=N ; 4.Rape=N ; 5.Defect=N ; 6.Social=N ;

7.Demand=N ;

Iran

Population: 66,429,284

Prostitution: Illegal
Prostitutes may face prison, lashing, or execution by stoning. Customers also face criminal penalties.

Brothel Ownership: Illegal
Establishing or managing a place of immorality or prostitution is a criminal act, subject to imprisonment from 1-10 years.

Pimping: Illegal
Living off the income of prostitution is illegal.

"A controversial plan to set up what are being denounced as licensed brothels in Iran has been rejected by official bodies... The idea was that people would sign up at a registration centre, then be referred to a health clinic for medical checks and a free contraceptive service... 'It's a euphemism for the official establishment of houses of corruption, the normalisation of illegitimate relations, and the destruction of the family,' said the Women's Social and Cultural Council.

The plan was defended by Ashraf Borujerdi, Deputy for Social Affairs at the Interior Ministry, who helped draw it up. 'Some people believe that talking about such issues is taboo, but they are part of the reality of society, and turning a blind eye will not solve the problem,' she said... Welfare officials say there are at least 300,000 prostitutes working in the country.

Under Iran's Islamic system, it is possible to take out a temporary marriage licence - known as Sigheh - even for a few hours. The device is used to cover casual transactions which in many societies would be regarded simply as prostitution."

"Iran 'Brothel' Plan Rejected," BBC News, July 28, 2002

Iraq

Level 1

Same-Sex Sexual Activity

 Legal since 2003[239] (Age of consent discrepancy)

Level: 2

1.Life=R ; 2.Health=N ; 3.Mental=N ; 4.Rape=N ; 5.Defect=R ; 6.Social=N ;

7.Demand=N ;

 Iraq

Population: 28,945,657

Prostitution: Illegal

Brothel Ownership: Illegal

Pimping: Illegal

"Prostitution is illegal. During the year, reports of prostitution increased. According to the NGO Organization for Women's Freedom in Iraq, some women have resorted to prostitution in order to provide for their children. On June 15, the Kurdish Lvin magazine published a detailed report on police involvement in a major Kirkuk prostitution ring, which routinely bribed government officials with prostitutes. The woman who ran the network asserted that there are over 200 brothels in Kirkuk. The author of the Lvin article, Soran Hama, was killed on July 21. The case remained unsolved at year's end...

Although reliable statistics did not exist, Iraq was a source and destination country for men and women trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation and involuntary servitude. Children are trafficked within the country and abroad for commercial sexual exploitation. Women are trafficked within the country, as well as to Syria, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and Iran for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation."

US Department of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, "2008 Human Rights Report: Iraq," www.state.gov, Feb. 25, 2009

Israel

Level 7

Recognition of Same-Sex Union

Same-Sex Marriage

Unregistered cohabitationsince 1994.

/Unrecognized if performed in country, but foreign same-sex marriages are recognized.

Level: 5

1.Life=Y ; 2.Health=Y ; 3.Mental=Y ; 4.Rape=Y ; 5.Defect=Y ; 6.Social=N ;

7.Demand=N ;

Israel

Prostitution: Legal

Brothels: illegal

Pimping: illegal

Prostitution in Israel is legal, but organized prostitution in the form of brothels and pimping is prohibited.[1]

Jordan

Level 1

Same-Sex Sexual Activity

 Legal since 1951[38]

Level: 3

1.Life=Y ; 2.Health=Y ; 3.Mental=Y ; 4.Rape=N ; 5.Defect=N ; 6.Social=N ;

7.Demand=N ;

Jordan

Population: 6,342,948

Prostitution: Illegal

Brothel Ownership: Illegal

Pimping: Illegal

"The country was a destination and transit point for men and women from South and Southeast Asia trafficked for forced labor, as well as a destination for women from Eastern Europe and Morocco for prostitution. Women from countries includingSri Lanka, Indonesia, and the Philippines migrated to work as domestic servants, but some were subjected to conditions of forced labor, such as withholding of passports, restrictions on movement, non-payment of wages, threats, and physical or sexual abuse."

US Department of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, "2008 Human Rights Report: Jordan," www.state.gov, Feb. 25, 2009

Kuwait

Level ½

Same-Sex Sexual Activity

 Male illegal
Penalty: Fines or up to 6-year prison sentence
 Female always legal[38][250]

Level: 4

1.Life=R ; 2.Health=R ; 3.Mental=R ; 4.Rape=N ; 5.Defect=R ; 6.Social=N ;

7.Demand=N ;

Kuwait

Prostitution: illegal

Prostitution in Kuwait is illegal, but according to the US State Department data the country has a poor record in dealing with human trafficking of kuwaiti women and children who are usually sold for the sex trade.[1]

Lebanon

Level 1

Same-Sex Sexual Activity

 Legal since 2014[251]

Level: 1

1.Life=Y ; 2.Health=N ; 3.Mental=N ; 4.Rape=N ; 5.Defect=N ; 6.Social=N ;

7.Demand=N ;

Lebanon

Prostitution: Legal

Brothels: Legal

Prostitution is nominally legal in Lebanon.[1] Officially, Lebanese law requires that brothels be licensed, a process that includes regular testing of workers for disease. However, in an attempt to gradually eliminate legal prostitution in the country, current government policy is to not issue new licenses for brothels. As a result, most prostitution now occurs illegally.

Bangladesh

Level 1

Laws concerning gender identity/ expression

 A third option (hijra) beside male and female[253]

Level: 7 Fully Enabled to terminate unborn children

1.Life=Y ; 2.Health=1 ; 3.Mental=1 ; 4.Rape=1 ; 5.Defect=1 ; 6.Social=1 ;

7.Demand=1 ;

Bangladesh

Fully prostitution enabled,

Population: 156,050,883

Prostitution: Limited Legality
Female prostitution with minimum age 18 is legal. Male prostitution is illegal.

Brothel Ownership: Legal

Pimping: Legal

"Female prostitution was legal. Male prostitution was illegal, although local NGOs claimed it was common in the major cities. The authorities generally ignored the minimum age of 18, often circumvented by false statements of age, for legal female prostitution. The government rarely prosecuted procurers of minors, and large numbers of underage girls in prostitution worked in brothels. Local NGOs estimated the total number of female prostitutes was as many as 100,000. The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) estimated in 2004 that there were 10,000 underage girls used in commercial sexual exploitation in the country, but other estimates placed the figure as high as 29,000. Trafficking of women internally and internationally remained a problem...

As many as 10,000 children were used in brothels for commercial sexual exploitation, and procurers of minors were rarely prosecuted.

Government corruption greatly facilitated the process of trafficking. Police and local government officials often ignored trafficking in women and children for commercial sexual exploitation and were easily bribed by brothel owners and pimps."

US Department of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, "2008 Human Rights Report: Bangladesh," www.state.gov, Feb. 25, 2009

 India

Level 1

Laws concerning gender identity/expression

 "Third gender" recognised by Supreme Court[258]

Level: 6 Almost Fully Enabled to terminate unborn children

1.Life=Y ; 2.Health=Y ; 3.Mental=2 ; 4.Rape=2 ; 5.Defect=2 ; 6.Social=2 ;

7.Demand=N ;

India

Population: 1,166,079,217

Prostitution: Limited Legality
Prostitution is not a criminal offense, but soliciting prostitution and prostitution in a public place are illegal.

Brothel Ownership: Illegal

Pimping: Illegal

"In the heart of Mumbai, India lies Kamathipura, one of the country's poorest districts and also its largest red light district, home to more than 60,000 sex workers...

On the streets of Kamathipura, it's no challenge for Aronson [Frontline Producer] to find sex workers to talk with. In a small gathering she asks them frankly about the core issues of their trade -- economics and health. The women get the equivalent of US$1.50 for sex, $2 on a good night, less than a dollar on a bad night. To have sex without a condom, men will often pay more or, after a few visits, tell the women they love them. The women in the group laugh a bit about the men's proclamations of love, but there's a tragic fact behind their laughter: more than half of the sex workers here are HIV positive."

Raney Aronson, "India - The Sex Workers," PBS's Frontline, June 2004

 Nepal

Level 4

Same-Sex Sexual Activity

 Legal since 2007
+ UN decl. sign.[38]

Level: 5

1.Life=Y ; 2.Health=Y ; 3.Mental=Y ; 4.Rape=Y ; 5.Defect=Y ; 6.Social=N ;

7.Demand=N ;

Nepal

Prostitution: Legal and illegal

Voluntary prostitution in Nepal is neither legal nor illegal.[1] Thousands of sex workers work in Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, and urban areas within Pokhara and Terai.[2] There is no record of whether these workers voluntarily or involuntarily offer their services for money, but investigations have evidence of both within these areas.Sex workers can work anywhere from brothels to bars, in their homes, or on the streets.[3] There are a number ofmassage parlors in Thamel, a tourist area of Kathmandu, where sex is also bought. Another form of prostitution is in cabin restaurants and dance bars where clients go and drink with girls. Afterwards, clients pick out a girl to go home with and pay her to have sexual encounters with them.