Webcam women who work in studios in Colombia, a country considered a “mecca” for this industry, are exposed to unhygienic conditions, forced to risky sexual practices and subjected to 18-hour days without breaks, according to a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report published this Monday.

The report “‘I learned to say no’: Labor abuse and sexual exploitation in Colombian webcam studies”, based on the 18-month work of researchers with two sex workers’ organizations in Colombia and interviews with more than fifty webcam women, exposes the violations of labor rights and sexual exploitation in Colombian studies in Bogotá, Medellín, Cali and Palmira.

Colombia, the country with the most webcam women

It is estimated that Colombia is the country with the largest number of webcamers who work mainly in studios, where they are victims of labor exploitation and in precarious conditions, even subject to sexual abuse.

“Sexual exploitation is not inherent to webcam models, but our study indicates that the risk of exploitation in Colombian studies is extremely high,” says HRW researcher Erin Kilbride.

The author of the investigation points out that “sex workers deserve the same labor protections as all workers under international human rights law, but the webcam industry, which moves billions of dollars, has largely avoided scrutiny of abuses in its supply chains.”

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The case of María

María, 33, works from a 1×2 meter cubicle, separated by curtains, in a studio in Bogotá where she works 12-hour shifts doing sexual transmissions for men around the world.

Every day she receives the cubicle with body fluids, cigarette ash and hair from the previous worker because the study does not hire people to clean, but more than the deplorable hygienic conditions, “the worst is the mental health problems,” especially because of the constant surveillance to which she is subjected by the owners.

“A spectator wanted me to simulate a rape and I didn’t want to, but I needed the money. (…) Normally, if a client wants something that I don’t, I simply say ‘no’ and leave the chat. But the owners of the studio constantly harassed me and entered the cubicle (when they saw me say ‘no’ to a client). Streaming platforms allow you to report abusive users, but it is impossible to report violence in the studio,” says the young woman.

Maria’s story is repeated in other interviewees. A 29-year-old transgender Bolivian woman who worked in a studio in Bogotá said that when she asked her manager to finish a penetration performance due to extreme pain, she told her that she could not stop because it damaged her score on the web.

Another model was forced to insert a glass bottle for fear that it would break inside.

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Abuses of “studies”

On average, studies keep between 50 and 65% of the income of young women, some even reach 70%, and in the workplace there are from lack of ventilation to bedbugs and cockroaches.

“Working conditions include wage theft, fines for taking breaks to eat and go to the bathroom, and computer keyboards, mice and furniture covered with body fluids from other employees. The workers developed rashes and infections and lacked mental health support,” the report highlights.

In addition, they are subjected to verbal abuse and threats by the owners of the studios, who force them to work many hours without food or water and to perform sexual acts to which they had not given their consent.

All those interviewed for the report freely chose to work as webcam models, but all of them felt surprised, disappointed or deceived by the conditions of their work, including learning about their salary or the sexual acts they were forced to perform, the report indicates.

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