Rahul Desarda: Week 10

Forced to Choose: Beyond the Voluntary v. Forced Prostitution Dichotomy

It is disturbing to note that there is a widespread misconception regarding prostitution and sex workers: that those women who do the work of prostitution always do it voluntarily, with their consent and apart from getting paid, they also “enjoy” this work. On the other hand, there are studies which suggest that more often than not, women are forced into the work of prostitution due to their socio-economic background. The author discusses the distinction between two beliefs and argues that this contradiction does not help in ensuring rights for these workers. Further, the author claims that we should go beyond this dichotomy and the need of the hour is to change the mindset of the society and make everyone realize that this is just another job and should not be looked at with prying eyes.

To get the women who are forced into this business out of it, we have to understand the abuse and violence associated with this work. Only after recognizing this violence, we can ensure the rights for them. I believe merely banning prostitution or regulating it through a law is not a sufficient solution. What is required is a systematic assessment of various cases and devising a method that is victim-centric so that the sex workers can choose for themselves the life they wish to lead.