Women and Sex Work
Introduction
Sex work is the practice of involving yourself in sexual relations for financial gains and other benefits. Sexual workers can either be men or women but mostly women are involved in sex work. Prostitution comes in many forms such as street prostitutes, escorts, acting pornography, and clinic prostitutes. Although Prostitution is illegal in many countries; countries such as Germany, Australia, and Holland have legalized it but under specific provisions. For instance, in countries such as Germany, the government requires that anybody engaging in the business file their tax returns after every financial year, and any defaulting may result in legal action. As such, this study will identify some of the common reasons that push women to joining prostitution and how they cope with the challenges they experience in their work.
Rape and Slave Trade
The majority of sex workers found along the streets are victims of human trafficking and rape. The young ladies are sex slaves to their bosses who push them to the streets to make money for them with no proper compensation or benefits given to them. Additionally, victims of sexual abuse view having sex as just normal due to loss of self-esteem thus peddle their bodies so as to try and satisfy their ego (Cimino et al., 2017). Some of the women are forced into prostitution or pornography by their socio-economic status. This involves their social standing compared to other people in society. It encompasses factors such as their income, education, and occupation that limit their ability to meet their daily needs.
Financial Gains
Sex workers mainly engage in prostitution for financial gains. The harsh economic times have pushed women into prostitution to try to earn an extra penny, as sex is not affected by economic uncertainties; they can sell their bodies anytime. Additionally, the women engage in sex work so as to provide for themselves as well as their families (Dewey et al., 2017). Moreover, sex workers are pushed by the notion that men have money and are easily swayed by sex
Inadequate Parental Care
Inadequate parental care can drive women into prostitution. Irresponsible parents do not teach their children the morals of society and how to respect their bodies. The majority of children who grow up under such parental guidance often seek advice on their sexuality from friends who may give them poor advice, thus making them exploit their sexuality by having different sexual partners and later prostitution (Skilbrei et al., 2016). Additionally, children from broken families and homes lack parental guidance and often fall into temptations, which eventually make them engage in prostitution.
Peer Pressure
Ladies are often victims of peer pressure. Some women are convinced into prostitution by their friends who are already in the business. The sex workers often narrate their best moments or experiences and the glamorous stories of their activities to their innocent friends without disclosing the dangers of engaging in prostitution (Chesney-Lind et al., 2017). These narrations convince some of the women into prostitution in a bid to experience the best moments too. They only realize the dangers of prostitution when they are deeply are engaged in prostitution and it is so late to turn back.
Unemployment and Joblessness
An increase in unemployment may drive women into sex work. The perception that all prostitutes are lazy is wrong; some are well educated but just lack jobs to earn a modest living. Unemployment pushes these jobless ladies to the street to sell their bodies in order to make ends meet. Additionally, sex workers will engage in the business as the money they earn is tax-free and easily acquired (Dewey et al., 2017). Moreover, the ever-increasing number of male clients who never stop seeking prostitutes’ services to try out their sex adventures attracts jobless women to prostitution (The Guardian, 2004).
Sexual Starvation
Sexual starvation can lead women to engage in prostitution. Women can revert to prostitution if they are sexually starved by their partners. Additionally, the fantasy of having sex with many men can also drive a woman into prostitution (Cimino et al., 2017). Moreover, factors such as long-distance relationships, widowhood, and insatiable libido make women search for men to satisfy their sexual urges even if there is no payment.
Favorable Laws
Favorable government regulations that protect sex workers’ rights are another reason for prostitution Some countries such as Germany, the states of Australia, and Holland have legalized prostitution by ensuring that prostitute’s rights are respected and protected (Freedman et al., 2017). Additionally, the countries have set aside designated places where the sex trade is conducted and even provide amenities to promote sex trade. Various government departments have also been given instructions to protect the sex workers by giving them services such as healthcare, housing as well as legal and security services to ensure that their businesses go uninterrupted (The Guardian, 2004).
Conclusion
Women’s engagement in sex workers is caused by various reasons such as financial gains, insatiable libido, family and society background, joblessness, and also loneliness due to family break-ups and heartbreaks. Favorable government regulations have been a major contribution to the increase of sex trade in various states and countries.
References
Chesney-Lind, M. (2017). Media misogyny: Demonizing “violent” girls and women. In Making Trouble (pp. 115-140). Routledge.
Cimino, A. N. (2017). Sex work and adult prostitution: From entry to exit. In Handbook of Behavioral Criminology (pp. 239-255). Springer, Cham.
Dewey, S., & Germain, T. S. (2017). Women of the street: How the criminal justice-social services alliance fails women in prostitution. NYU Press.
Freedman, J. (2017). Selling sex: Trafficking, prostitution and sex work amongst migrant women in Europe. In Gender and Insecurity (pp. 119-136). Routledge.
Skilbrei, M. L., & Holmström, C. (2016). Prostitution policy in the Nordic region: Ambiguous sympathies. Routledge.
The Guardian. (2004). Weekend: Britain’s sex industry. Retrieved March 23, 2019, from https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2004/may/15/weekend7.weekend4