Sex Work

I Column: Shades of Grey
Five transgender women dressed in colourful sarees, standing in the middle of the street.
I Column: Shades of Grey

Introduction: As this first-person account of Anita, a Devadasi in Maharashtra, Western India illustrates, issues of consent and violence/coercion cannot…
By Anita
February 1, 2014
I Column: Shades of Grey
Lives of Sex Workers living with disabilities from VAMP
Photo of a woman in a light blue salary standing leaning against a wall in what looks like arun-down neighbourhood. The text over the image reads: "Shanta Kamble was a sex worker for 15 years. She lives in Uttamnagar, Miraj, a town in southern Maharashtra. As a young girl with polio, Shanta ran away from home."
Lives of Sex Workers living with disabilities from VAMP

Following are some short clips made by Point of View, Mumbai  in collaboration with SANGRAM, Sangli about the lives of sex workers living…
By Point of View
August 1, 2014
Lives of Sex Workers living with disabilities from VAMP
Review: Scarlet Road
Review: Scarlet Road
August 1, 2014
Review: Scarlet Road
Providing sexual services to clients with disability
A woman dressed in a black and red dress and holding up a big red umbrella is looking behind. She has long blonde hair and a smile on her face.
Providing sexual services to clients with disability

I’ve been a sex worker for over 20 years. I’m a migrant sex worker based in Sydney, Australia but have…
By Rachel Wotton
August 1, 2014
Providing sexual services to clients with disability
Building Solidarity amongst Diverse and Marginalised Communities at SANGRAM, Sangli: Part 1
Condoms are distributed by sex workers who work with SANGRAM and VAMP to educate and empower their peers.
Building Solidarity amongst Diverse and Marginalised Communities at SANGRAM, Sangli: Part 1

A gradual process of inclusion; engaging and understanding exclusion  In 1992, health and human rights NGO, SANGRAM, recognised the need…
By SANGRAM
December 1, 2015
Building Solidarity amongst Diverse and Marginalised Communities at SANGRAM, Sangli: Part 1
Charlie Sheen Put a Spotlight on HIV and Sex Workers. But Here’s What’s Missing From the Conversation.
Charlie Sheen on The Today Show. Cameraperson is filming him.
Charlie Sheen Put a Spotlight on HIV and Sex Workers. But Here’s What’s Missing From the Conversation.

In the wake of Charlie Sheen’s announcement that he was HIV-positive, there was talk of how it would affect the…
By Curated Content
December 15, 2015
Charlie Sheen Put a Spotlight on HIV and Sex Workers. But Here’s What’s Missing From the Conversation.
Building Solidarity Amongst Diverse and Marginalised Communities at SANGRAM, Sangli: Part 2
Condoms are distributed by sex workers who work with SANGRAM and VAMP to educate and empower their peers.
Building Solidarity Amongst Diverse and Marginalised Communities at SANGRAM, Sangli: Part 2

This is the second part in a two-part series on SANGRAM’s work in Sangli. Read the first part here. Finding…
By SANGRAM
December 15, 2015
Building Solidarity Amongst Diverse and Marginalised Communities at SANGRAM, Sangli: Part 2
Brushstrokes: The Sound of Laughter*
Drawing of a cow sitting under a tree. But the face of the cow is that of a man wearing sunglasses. The ends of a red gamcha around his neck flow in the wind.
Brushstrokes: The Sound of Laughter*

[slideshow_deploy id=’8255′] [slideshow_deploy id=’8268′] “I want to put forward laughter and detachment as ways of resisting and refusing patriarchy by…
By Debolina Dutta
January 18, 2016
Brushstrokes: The Sound of Laughter*
Sex and Sex Work: Same-Same But Different
In bright orange light, a toy train races around a track that surrounds a toy sized building
Sex and Sex Work: Same-Same But Different

A discussion between sex workers of different ages, work contexts and backgrounds at the Empower Foundation centre in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
By Empower
April 5, 2016
Sex and Sex Work: Same-Same But Different
मेरी अपनी बात
Five transgender people walking down on an Indian road. Someone behind them is carrying a placard "Save us from saviors". They are wearing bright-coloured sareers, gajras, bindis, and jewelery.
मेरी अपनी बात

अनीता जो महाराष्ट्र में एक देवदासी हैं, के इस आत्म कथ्य से पता चलता है कि सहमति और हिंसा के मुद्दे हमेशा स्पष्ट और सीधे रूप में सामने नहीं आते। अनीता का कथ्य बताता है कि जीवन की कई परिस्थितियों में वो अपना रास्ता खुद मर्ज़ी अनुसार चुन पाई हैं ।
By Anita
April 5, 2016
मेरी अपनी बात
Why We Need to Bridge the Gap between Sex Workers’ Movements and Abortion Rights Activism
A leafless tree with red umbrellas hung on its branches.
Why We Need to Bridge the Gap between Sex Workers’ Movements and Abortion Rights Activism

Abortion and sex work share the distinction of being topics on which even feminist activists sometimes find it difficult to remain non-judgmental, confronting feminists with the question: to what lengths are we really willing to go to respect and enable women’s choices and bodily autonomy?

By Kristin Francoeur and Surabhi Srivastava
April 5, 2016
Why We Need to Bridge the Gap between Sex Workers’ Movements and Abortion Rights Activism
Brushstrokes: Sex + Work ≠ Sex Work? We Wonder Why
Drawing of a feminine cartoon character with curly hair, and a surprised expression. On top is written "We wonder why".
Brushstrokes: Sex + Work ≠ Sex Work? We Wonder Why

If there are hordes of reasons for having sex, and all kinds of activities that count as work, why is it that the act of performing sexual services cannot be accepted as legitimate work?

Liz Hilton illustrates the puzzle in a booklet published by Empower Foundation, Thailand.
By Curated Content
April 5, 2016
Brushstrokes: Sex + Work ≠ Sex Work? We Wonder Why
Review: What Sex Work Taught Feminism: Tales of the Night Fairies
Two sex workers standing and talking outside a chawl. They both are dressed in sarees, and are wearing a red bindi on their forehead.
Review: What Sex Work Taught Feminism: Tales of the Night Fairies

Note: Five sex workers – four women and one man – along with the filmmaker/narrator embark on a journey of storytelling. Shohini Ghosh’s Tales of the Night Fairies explores the power of collective organising and resistance while reflecting upon contemporary debates around sex work. The labyrinthine city of Kolkata (Calcutta) forms the backdrop for personal and musical journeys.
By Moulshri Mohan
April 18, 2016
Review: What Sex Work Taught Feminism: Tales of the Night Fairies
Why Being a Feminist Funder Means Supporting Sex Worker Activism
A group of women walking holding red umbrellas that cover their faces.
Why Being a Feminist Funder Means Supporting Sex Worker Activism

Sex work remains a highly contested issue. In most places in the world, societies and laws impose horrendous stigma and abuses on sex workers. But even within human rights movements there are disputes about whether sex work should be seen as labour or as exploitation…
By Barbara Lotti
April 18, 2016
Why Being a Feminist Funder Means Supporting Sex Worker Activism
Providing Sexual Services to Clients with Disability
A woman dressed in a black and red dress and holding up a big red umbrella is looking behind. She has long blonde hair and a smile on her face.
Providing Sexual Services to Clients with Disability

Sex workers also are renowned for being educators – teaching people about safer sex practices and letting them explore their sexual expression in a safe and supportive environment. Seeing a sex worker can assist in one’s rehabilitation, allowing people to rediscover their sexual functioning after an accident and also learn to adapt to new sexual positioning with their new limited mobility.
By Curated Content
April 18, 2016
Providing Sexual Services to Clients with Disability
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