“Forced to Choose” by Jo Doezema throws light on the world of prostitution and describes in great detail significant differences between girls who participate in prostitution voluntarily and girls who are forced to take part in the activity. Through this work, Doezema tries to make us look at sex workers and their jobs in a completely different perspective. She very correctly points out the struggles that the sex workers have to go through because of the job they do and how the society judges them endlessly. She also explains that even the ones who join the work voluntarily are treated with pity as if they’re in some sort of a need or simply want help. It’s very obvious that whatever they do is most certainly not viewed as a ‘profession’ but instead as an obligation that they have to fulfill anyhow due to their needs. The author further states that this approach towards prostitution is very problematic, especially in countries which claim to be progressive and developing. In India, Devadasis are looked down upon and are expected to always be sexually available just because they come from the lower strata of the society. Their self-worth and respect are degraded to an unimaginable extent and they are considered ‘impure’. This might be because in India, women are expected to have sexual relations with just one man throughout their lives and that too only if they marry.
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