Better pay drives women to prostitution

[La Lioness Priyanka]

"MUMBAI: Very rarely does a survey of prostitution take into account the economics of sex work, or view it in the context of the labour market. While a detailed study of the economics of commercial sex work in the US found its way into the 2009 bestseller Superfreakonomics, two economists from Pune University have studied the same angle in perhaps the first pan-India study of prostitution.

The preliminary findings of the study, conducted by Rohini Sahni and V Kalyan Shankar of the department of economics, Pune University, under the aegis of the Centre for Advocacy on Stigma and Marginalization, Sangli, were released in Mumbai on Saturday.

The researchers surveyed 3,000 female sex workers and 1,355 male and transgender workers from 14 states and one Union Territory in India. The findings were released at the Gender Resource Centre run by Akshara, an organization working in the field of women's studies.

"While most surveys on prostitution treat sex workers as objects, or focus on issues such as HIV, very rarely is their voice heard. We have attempted to conduct an objective study of prostitution as part of the unorganized labour market in India,'' said Sahni. "

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Better-pay-drives-women-to-prostitution/articleshow/8129896.cms

[ismnotwasm]

1. It's always been about economics

And it's always rested on the backs of women. Or the feminized male or the transgendered. When prostitution becomes a respected and honored profession--and it could, even in a science fiction type way ala 'Firefly' with all genders equally represented, I'll change my mind about it.

Meanwhile, the negatives far outweigh the positives. Prostitutes may make money, but they tend to be social outcasts and frequent victims of horrible violence. Why? I think it's partially because of shame based sex, the 'thrill' of the 'dirty girl' Or Boy. I lived through what I consider the holocaust of AIDS in the early eighties, when most of my friends were male prostitutes and most of them died, and no one cared. I do know that 'rescue' groups in trafficked women rarely offer a alternative. Get them 'out of sex work' and they go to.. What?

Like back in Long Island. Once again, prostitutes are being targeted. They are, covertly, blamed for crimes perpetrated against them, no matter how heinous. Personally, I'd rather see a whole lot more organization and protection within the sex worker community itself, and rather than complaining about the patriarchy that drives the supply and demand, (I'd still complain, but I consider that a completely different topic. I see no reason why men should feel free to obtain sexual access 24/7 while women play the part of the whore) I fully support anything that makes them safer.

When the Missing are Prostitutes, Police Let Trails Go Cold
http://msmagazine.com/blog/blog/2011/04/27/when-the-missing-are-prostitutes-police-let-trails-go-cold/

[defendandprotect]

2. Soon the international sex slave trade will ensure no "prostitute" makes anything ....

that isn't taken by the corporation running her!