sex and Work

Dignity and beyond

On the receiving end of ribaldry and moral outrage, prostitutes have long lived in a twilight world of shame. Rarely have they been accorded respect, much less acceptance, by a society that, even while benefiting from their services, demands their banishment to the fringes. And yet sex workers (as those in the profession increasingly prefer to term themselves) are essentially workers, selling a service in return for payment. Why, then, are they not accorded the dignity and rights that other workers get? Why do they have to continue to bear a burden of stigma, shame and criminality?

In the recent past, there has been a shift in the debate about sex work. After the advent of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, the increased focus on sex workers as vectors of disease conformed to dearly held stereotypes. Yet this also provided an opportunity for sex workers to organise themselves, and the resultant empowerment has enabled them to make their voices increasingly heard. There is now a strengthening recognition that the criminalisation of prostitution, besides being an assault on the rights of sex workers (whether women, men or transgender) creates more problems than it solves, be it in terms of public health or human rights. As indicated by our cover image for this issue, by Bangalore artist Nilofer Suleman, looking into the lives of sex workers might also uncover stories of courage, resistance, humour, liberation and survival.