Sex Work and the Stigmatization of It

 

"When there is violence, the prostitute is typically to blame. See, I'm about to make a purchase. Why should I be violent if I am happy with the goods I am purchasing? When I am taken advantage of or receive poor service, I will become violent. When a prostitute urges the customer to use condoms, there may be violence. They compel the client to do it. There will inevitably be arguments because he is displeased.”  Sex in Vietnamese Culture

This intriguing statement was made by an unnamed john during a 2003 study by O'Connell & Davidson, and it captures some of the risks that sex workers face all across the world. Most sex workers are frequently at risk of physical and verbal abuse, stigmatization, violations of human rights, and social and legal discrimination. Only in rare instances are they protected by the law and justice systems. Because of everything mentioned above, they are more likely to become victims of human trafficking, sexual exploitation, develop degenerative diseases, and experience social isolation.

These are just a few of the reasons why sex workers rarely decide to sell sex on their own volition. However, many people see sex work as a method of survival because they are frequently confined by unemployment or financial issues. Five blowjobs, according to a mother in Zambia, would enable her to buy a bag of maize for her kids. One person in India thought it was a more lucrative venture than her existing job. One British woman claimed that selling sex was her only option for survival. While some see it as a means of subsistence, others deliberately choose to engage in the practice, as Alice Little, the highest-paid sex worker in the United States, exemplifies. Hence, the nuanced view of what it means to be a sex worker in today's society.

Community Perceptions

All sides of society are stigmatized against sex labor because it is perceived as a sign of shame, a social dishonor, or a corrupted identity. The media, politicians, and even academic publications frequently refer to sex workers in derogatory terms such "prostitutes," "hookers," and "whores." While generating waves of public support for the rape and murder of Melbourne resident Jill Meagher, newspapers chose not to cover the killing of fellow Australian Tracy Connelly, a sex worker who was killed in her vehicle a year after Meagher's passing. Up until the early 2000s, migrant sex workers were not included in migration statistics in the study literature. Instead of referring to "solutions for sex workers," many politicians use the phrase "solutions for prostitution," which paints sex dealers as the cause of prostitution and all of its attendant problems. Laws against prostitution that were subsequently passed further alienate sex workers from the rest of society.

The way that sex labor is viewed by the law may be the cause of this stigmatization's origin. There are four international sex work legal frameworks. The first, which would make everyone involved in the sale of sex fully criminalized, would intentionally stigmatize sex workers by portraying them as criminals. The second is partial criminalization, which promotes a gulf between society and sex workers who are forced to work alone and does not prosecute the buying and selling of sex but does punish all activities around it (such as brothels). The third approach, the Nordic one, tries to make sex buyers a crime. While this policy theoretically attempts to end sex work, in practice it merely forces sex workers into more hidden activities, further widening the gap between them and the rest of society. The fourth model, the legalization of sex labor, is based on the overwhelmingly prevalent stigma. States like Nevada isolate underprivileged labor by imposing unique requirements including registration, rigorous health inspections, and the acquisition of an obligatory license.

Institutional Discrimination

In the email, it was stated that "Please note that we are not required to provide an explanation for the action taken against your account."

Despite Arianna Travaglini never used the property rentals for her work, Airbnb sent her this email after learning that she was a professional dominatrix. This is just one of a limited number of injustices that sex workers have been vocal about. Just a few of the businesses closing down small business accounts related to sex work for "unethical" justifications include PayPal, JPMorgan Chase, and Visa/MasterCard. Despite the evidence showing otherwise, an Australian sex worker was charged with a crime and given a life sentence in 2008 for willingly engaging in sexual activity with a client who was HIV positive. The media received the identity, age, and location of the sex worker, which caused public stigma.

Along with other human rights breaches, sex workers also encounter physical violence. Street sex workers are harassed, arrested, and occasionally attacked in cities including London, Canberra, and Tokyo for acting as though they are selling sex. Sex workers may face discrimination when trying to rent an apartment, looking for work, going through divorce proceedings that involve child custody, and using specific services. Sex workers are subject to regular screenings for sexually transmitted diseases, the need to buy a license, high taxes on their enterprises, and required supervision under legal systems where prostitution is permitted.

Community Isolation

The term "whore stigma" refers to the shame placed on sex workers, especially women, who break conventional gender norms by carrying and spreading sexually transmitted illnesses, as well as selling their bodies for sex. This stigma has fostered a stereotype of sex workers as ignorant and underprivileged people, which has resulted in usually socially acceptable contempt and discrimination of these people. As a result, sex workers devise methods to conceal their involvement in the industry so as to avoid being publicly shamed by authorities, being rejected by their homes or by friends and family, or facing abuse of power.

Many times, this stigma prohibits sex workers from accessing sufficient healthcare, forcing them to turn to unorthodox solutions like unhygienic clinics or choosing not to seek treatment. Sex workers are now physically exiled from society in several countries where sex work is illegal due to the growth of informal tolerance zones outside industrial parks and city edges. However, these zones are also easily identifiable and avoidable. Additionally, during their school years, children of sex workers are frequently teased and excluded.

What Are Our Options?

Amnesty International, the United Nations, Human Rights Watch, and the World Health Organization are all pushing for stricter rules that protect sex workers and more inclusive legislation that provides them with alternate means of support. However, social isolation is still a significant issue in these international groupings. Around the world, sex worker unions, advocacy organizations, and activists are growing in influence as leaders in the effort to transform people's perceptions of sex work through peer support groups, education, storytelling, and public awareness campaigns. These organizations use sex labor as a tool to advance female independence, social and economic empowerment, body acceptance, and open-mindedness.

Anyone can act as a change agent. By reading about, talking about, and raising awareness of these initiatives, anyone may get involved in the movements and become an advocate for advancement. Your participation in the revolution has already begun if you read this blog. You can now decide whether to accept it.

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