Sexual exploitation refers to any actual or attempted abuse of someone’s position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust to obtain sexual favors, including but not only, by offering social, economic, or political advantages. Examples include trafficking and prostitution.
Sexual abuse refers to the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. Examples include sexual slavery and sexual assault.
SEA may be experienced by project beneficiaries, workers, or affected people.
Adapted from Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), "Environmental and Social Framework," 2021, View the PDF; United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), "What is Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment?," accessed in 2022, View the Website.