The scale of prostitution as an extreme form of violence against women is once again reflected in the data released by Metges del Món Balears on the occasion of 25N. So far in 2025, the organisation has assisted 315 women in situations of prostitution in Ibiza — a total of 1,215 across the Balearic Islands — placing Ibiza among the territories where this reality has a particularly significant impact. According to the organisation, these figures reveal a phenomenon sustained “by pimps and clients” that perpetuates sexual exploitation and places thousands of women “in a situation of extreme vulnerability”.
Metges del Món stresses that prostitution must be understood as gender violence in its most brutal form, operating alongside multiple human rights violations. The organisation highlights that this violence is not limited to the act of sexual explotation itself, but causes deep and lasting harm to women’s physical, emotional and social health. The consequences, they note, are not only individual but structural, and for this reason the organisation considers it essential to name and expose them clearly.
After-effects that affect body and mind
In their daily work, the association’s team repeatedly encounters the same pattern: women suffering from depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, insomnia, sleep disturbances, suicide attempts and problematic use of alcohol and drugs. These symptoms, they explain, are a direct reflection of the ongoing violence these women endure.
In terms of sexual and reproductive health, many of the women face unwanted pregnancies, pain resulting from forced sexual encounters, miscarriages and sexually transmitted infections, in addition to recurrent gynaecological problems. The physical impact also extends to muscle injuries, chronic pain and other ailments stemming from constant exploitation. In the most severe cases, the violence puts women’s lives at risk.
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