Beyond the Brothels: A Qualitative Study of the Destitute Female Sex Workers of Central Delhi Red Light Area

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-36
Author(s):  
Anushree Nagpal ◽  
Atiqua Tajdar ◽  
Masood Ahsan Siddiqui ◽  
Mohammad Hassan ◽  
Suman Gaur ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Workers ◽  
Female Sex Workers ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Red Light ◽  
Voluntary Organizations ◽  
Female Sex ◽  
Familial Support ◽  
Medical Facilities ◽  
Light Area

The term ‘sex workers’ refers to those involved in prostitution. This particular term is preferred as it does not have the derogatory, sexist connotation that the term ‘prostitute’ has. Belonging to a highly stigmatized profession with no financial and familial support forthcoming, the latter years of the lives of destitute female sex workers are spent in abject misery and poverty. Effort has been made to study the socio economic status and the ways adopted by these women, post active prostitution period, to support themselves and their families. This paper is based on the field study conducted in central Delhi red light area during August-September, 2016. Direct interviews with the respondents using questionnaires as well as participant observation techniques were used to collect the data. The study indicate that destitute female sex workers, once out of active prostitution, start working as domestic helpers, work with local voluntary organizations, or as helpers in brothels. The income earned is very meager with hardly any amount left to be saved. Most of the women live in one room rented accommodations. Their access to medical facilities was found to be extremely restricted.

scholarly journals Development of Boyhood in Female Sex Workers’ Family — A Representation of their Vicious Cycle

2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harasankar Adhikari
Keyword(s):  
Sex Workers ◽  
Qualitative Method ◽  
Female Sex Workers ◽  
Educational Development ◽  
Life Experiences ◽  
Red Light ◽  
Vicious Cycle ◽  
Single Parent Family ◽  
Female Sex ◽  
Light Area

The brothel based female sex workers (FSWs) are in obstruction in their daily life. Beyond the male politics, mothering and motherhood are a common phenomenon to testify their universal womanhood through procreation. Usually they have settled up their family in their typically constructed community- red light area. Mostly their family is matrifocal and single parent family which was failed to provide proper control and strategies for up-bringing of their offspring. The present study was conducted to explore the development of boyhood in female sex workers’ community purposively because there was a need of explanation of the masculinity their community. For that purpose, 50 boys of below 18 years of age were selected adopting simple random purposive sampling and both quantitative and qualitative method of data collection used to get information on their up-bringing process including life experiences. The result showed that their development was enough to continue their vicious cycle of FSW-Child-FSW. Only the educational development, sometimes separate shelter and if their mothers were able to hide their involvement, had brought changes in their pathways of development outside their community.

scholarly journals “I Am Almost a Breadwinner for My Family”: Exploring the Manifestation of Agency in Sex Workers’ Personal and Professional Contexts

Affilia ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 088610992110227
Author(s):  
Sharvari Karandikar ◽  
Kaitlin Casassa ◽  
Logan Knight ◽  
Megan España ◽  
Njeri Kagotho
Keyword(s):  
Sex Work ◽  
Sex Workers ◽  
Female Sex Workers ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Red Light ◽  
Structural Factors ◽  
Female Sex ◽  
Light Area ◽  
Professional Contexts ◽  
Depth Interviews

While societal and structural factors often constrain women’s agency in patriarchal settings, women nevertheless find creative ways to manifest and develop agency. Female sex workers (FSWs), in particular, are regularly assumed to have little or no agency, but an important body of literature suggests otherwise. To add to this knowledge, this study sought to answer the question: How do FSWs in Mumbai, India, exert agency in personal and professional contexts? In-depth interviews were conducted with 12 FSWs in the Kamathipura red-light area. Four themes emerged: (a) sex work as a rational and empowering choice, (b) resources and assets, (c) sex work as a means of achievement, and (d) managing violence, retribution, and fear. These themes reveal expressions of agency that illustrate how sex workers are intentional, rational, goal-oriented, and resilient. The findings of this study can contribute to the removal of stigma surrounding sex work and inform service providers working with this population in their efforts to treat sex workers with dignity and respect. Further research is needed in this area, especially which centers on the voices of the agentic sex workers themselves.

Socio-economic status may suppress the effect of knowledge on sexual risk among female sex workers

2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shervin Assari ◽  
Majid Rezazade ◽  
Khodabakhsh Ahmadi ◽  
Mahmood Sehat
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Risk ◽  
Sex Workers ◽  
Female Sex Workers ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Socio Economic Status ◽  
Female Sex

scholarly journals Community-Based Strategies as Transformative Approaches for Health Promotion and Empowerment among Commercial Sex Workers in India

Sexes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 202-215
Author(s):  
Satarupa Dasgupta
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Health Communication ◽  
Sex Workers ◽  
Female Sex Workers ◽  
Red Light ◽  
Community Mobilization ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Female Sex ◽  
Red Light District

The current paper examines the utilization of community mobilization as a strategic health communication technique in an intervention to reduce human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and sexually transmitted infections (STI) rates among marginalized and at-risk populations such as commercial female sex workers in a red-light district in India. The research documents the struggles of a historically exploited community in India to mitigate its marginalization through implementation of a multilayered strategy of capacity building and economic empowerment. Semi-structured interviews of 37 commercial female sex workers were conducted in a red-light district of India. Qualitative analysis of the interview transcripts showed the prevalence of three themes which demonstrated the different facets of the community mobilization framework within the context of a health communication intervention. The findings of this research delineate how STI risk reduction as well as participation and empowerment can be achieved through a community-based health promotion project targeted towards commercial female sex workers within the context of their lived realities of marginalization and oppression.

scholarly journals Inequalities in socioeconomic status, behaviors, healthcare services and vulnerability to HIV/STIs between brothel-based and street-based female sex workers in Yunnan, China

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guoxi Cai ◽  
Yufen Liu ◽  
Yixiao Lu ◽  
Jiwen Wu ◽  
Jinman Zhuang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Workers ◽  
Female Sex Workers ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Healthcare Intervention ◽  
Binary Logistic Regression Model ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Female Sex

Abstract BackgroundCommercial sex plays a critical role in the transmission of HIV/STI infections in mainland China because female sex workers (FSWs), who tend to be either street-based (SSWs) or brothel-based (BSWs), are extremely prevalent. These two groups had different behaviors and treatment. Few studies investigated due to SSWs group is difficult to reach. MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted in Yunnan Province of China with 129 street-based and 185 brothel-based participants. Peer educators conducted anonymous, face-to-face interviews to collect data on socio-demographic characteristics, HIV/STIs-related knowledge, sex work history, sex behaviours, experience of receiving healthcare service, and experience of abuse from clients. Blood samples were taken for HIV and syphilis testing. Urine samples were taken for gonorrhoea and chlamydia testing. ResultsSignificant differences on socio-economic characters and HIV/STIs prevalence are found between the two types of FSWs. SSWs are older than BSWs; have less education, more dependents, and more clients in one week; receive less healthcare services; and have a higher prevalence of HIV/STIs. Binary logistic regression model results showed that venue for sex trade and experience of HIV testing were significantly associated with the prevalence of HIV/STIs ConclusionsThe SSWs are at lower socio-economic status and have high HIV/STIs mobility, who are more marginalized, receive less healthcare and are, thus, more vulnerable. China’s next step in healthcare intervention should focus on the most hard-to-reach-marginalised groups. HIV/STIs testing and socio-psychological support programmes are urgent needed for these neglected people.

Violence in Commercial Sex Work: A Case Study on the Impact of Violence Among Commercial Female Sex Workers in India and Strategies to Combat Violence

2020 ◽  
pp. 107780122096988
Author(s):  
Satarupa Dasgupta
Keyword(s):  
Sex Workers ◽  
Female Sex Workers ◽  
Red Light ◽  
Structural Barriers ◽  
Transmitted Infection ◽  
Commercial Sex Work ◽  
Sexually Transmitted ◽  
Female Sex ◽  
The Impact

Violence is one of the primary contextual factors that significantly raise sex workers’ sexually transmitted infection risk. The current study examines how violence affects sexual health behavior among commercial female sex workers in a red light district in Calcutta, India. The study which employs in-depth interviews of 37 commercial female sex workers also discusses an innovative multilayered strategy devised by the sex workers to combat violence through a community mobilization drive. The current study shows that the sex workers can confront the system that precipitates violence and actively engage with it to mitigate the impact of structural barriers to empowerment.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document