It is no secret that sex trafficking and other forms of sex work have made millions of dollars for the global economy. The “Stripper Index,” a term coined by economists, encompasses all forms of sexual labor, attributes, and the economic trends that accompany it. In many nations around the world, sexual labor has become a source of income for numerous women, especially women in the African continent and the Middle East. In Dubai, it has been unveiled that an incredibly successful sex ring is responsible for the terrible treatment of the women it has trafficked – all for the sake of a check.
Charles Mwesigwa, a former bus driver from West London, has recently confessed to an undercover reporter from the BBC that he could provide women for a sex party at a starting price of $1,000 (740 British pounds). He went on to add that they can do virtually anything that is asked of them, leaving room to infer that the women may be subject to terrible treatment and abuse from clients.
For years, there have been rumours of scandalous sex parties in the UAE, particularly in Dubai and its most affluent neighborhoods. #Dubaiportapotty is a hashtag that has been viewed over 400 million times on social media, with connections to parodies and supposed revealing(s) of women who are accused of being greedy, money-hungry individuals funding their lavish lifestyles by working as prostitutes. Numerous anonymous Ugandan women have stated that upon arriving in Dubai via their connections to Mwesigwa, they had no idea that they signed up to carry out sexual labour. Many of them believed they were travelling to Dubai to work in places like hotels or supermarkets.
Mwesigwa denies the allegations. He claims to help women find housing and other necessities, and they simply follow him to parties due to his high-profile Dubai contacts. Numerous women have lost their lives working for Mwesigwa, some describing “His place [feeling] like a market…There were like 50 girls.” The women claim Mweisgwa was violent when some women asked him if they could return home, and the debt they owed him for constantly funding their housing needs would increase exponentially.
Many of the women trafficked by Mwesiwa are of Ugandan origin, and they believe that their race is a key element as to why they’re put through such abominable treatment. Multiple women state that upon trying to get help from local authorities, they would make racially motivated remarks and simply say they didn’t want to get involved.
In September 2025, the Ugandan embassy in Abu Dhabi (UAE Capital) issued a statement proclaiming that “investigations of human trafficking are ongoing and action has been taken by the authorities of the UAE.” Mwesigwa has denied all claims related to the embassy’s statement, stating the women orbit him due to the wealthy crowd he has made himself a part of. Each incident of the deaths of women affiliated with Mwesigwa’s sex ring has been ruled as suicides, but many of their family members feel the deaths should’ve been investigated further. Currently, numerous Ugandan Ministers have addressed the situation, pledging to work with Interpol and bring justice to the victims.
Today, $236 billion generated in global revenue sprouts from forced labor, three-quarters of that amount from sex work alone. Something must be done to save millions of innocent global citizens from these conditions, to secure their civil liberties, and ensure their fundamental human rights are protected. It is in the hands of the international body and its standard of justice to address this issue to the fullest.
Written by Alexandra Kwitkowski
