Sexual Abuse of Authority: Taking Action against Sextortion in Tanzania

Sextortion occurs when a person with entrusted authority abuses it to obtain sexual favors in exchange for a service or benefit which is within their power to grant or withhold (Eldén et al. 2020). “Sex for grades” is just one example of sextortion, where a teacher demands a sexual favor from a pupil in exchange for grades or exam results.

Cases of sextortion have been documented in a range of contexts and sectors around the world, but because it does not neatly fit the definition of neither corruption nor gender based violence, it tends to be made invisible in both research and development practice.

Theoretically, this project will demonstrate what the implications are when sex is the currency of a corrupt transaction. Empirically, it will investigate how action can be taken against sextortion in a development project.

In three steps, the project (1) theoretically highlights important aspects of the concept of sextortion, (2) maps if and how they translate into policy formulation, and (3) identifies opportunities and challenges with implementing policy about sextortion.

With a definition of sextortion emphasizing the abuse of authority and the role of gender norms as a starting point, the project closely follows a process around formulating and implementing policy about sextortion in a non-governmental organization working with adult education in Tanzania.