Priming the Sex Worker: Poverty or Prosperity?

by Riza Yehiya

- on 11/27/2013

The issue of sex work emerging as a recognizable profession in Sri anka is !ren"ing# This is e$i"ence" by !he ma!erials appearing in !he me"ia an" !he recen! pos! in %roun"$iews !i!le" &s Sex 'ork( work) *ecen! s!a!emen! by +r#,imalka -ernan"o in !he .eylon To"ay a"$oca!ing legalizing pros!i!u!ion by alleging heal!h officials/ re$ela!ion !ha! nearly 00(000 ankans are engage" in pros!i!u!ion is alarming# &f !hese are pro$en fac!s( !his !urns ou! !o be billions wor!h business in !he sha"ows# .er!ainly( in !he emerging pre"a!ory capi!alis! economy in Sri anka( cer!ain businesses may co$er!ly be eying !o legalize pros!i!u!ion !o make use of !he emerging marke! oppor!uni!y# The "ifference be!ween pros!i!u!ion an" sex work is a !hin line an" bo!h are "one as ser$ice !o cus!omers in re!urn for a fee in cash or kin"# 1uman frail!y ren"ers some !o s!ray in!o !his black hole( more circums!an!ially !han $oli!ionally# 1owe$er frail!y apar!( socio-economic an" poli!ical con"i!ions are also "ri$ers !ha! coerce a large magni!u"e of !he popula!ion !o !he fringe an" "ri$e some !o !ake up !his profession for !heir sur$i$al# ,o sane person in socie!y howe$er poor !hey are gi$en !he choice of choosing manual labour o$er sex workwoul" gleefully accep! !o be a sex worker# Similarly( no paren!s or !eachers woul" encourage !heir chil"ren/pupils !o choose !he profession of a sex worker howe$er much !he

marke! presen!s !hem as glamorous an" smar!# 2s inna!ely( human conscience says wha! is no! goo" for one is no! goo" for !he o!her# 1uman aspira!ions always aim higher an" !herefore none has !he !emeri!y !o !ake on a profession !ha! nega!es ones i"en!i!y an" self wor!h# Then how come !his is !ren"ing) 1uman frail!y being na!ural( any socie!y woul" ha$e pros!i!u!ion like cancerous ra"icals !ha! run amok in !he human bo"y# These emerge "ue !o !he poor heal!h of !he socie!y an" wha! we see !o"ay is a sickly 3u""his!( 1in"u( .hris!ian( 4uslim social fabric !ain!e" by a pre"a!ory socio-economic an" poli!ical or"er wi!h no "ue "iligence !o recognize i!s "ue responsibili!y !o i!s ci!izens as wor!hy beings# The spiri!ual failure of !he in"i$i"uals an" !he socie!y compoun"e" by a "ecrepi! socio-economic poli!ical ambience "ri$es many !o choose $oca!ions which !hey abhor# Sex work is one such $oca!ion# .onsi"ering !he circums!ances on a humani!arian pla!form( i! is 5us!ifiable !o a"$oca!e pro!ec!ion !o !he 00(000 ci!izens who are in"ulging in sex work as a profession# 3u! !his "oes no! sol$e !he problem( as rising polariza!ion in socie!y( a!omiza!ion of family( loss of social an" cul!ural $alues !o ma!erialism an" he"onism( war an" social conflic! an" emerging pre"a!ory capi!alism in Sri anka can po!en!ially exacerba!e !his an" increase !he numbers exponen!ially# 'ha! is nee"e" here is a holis!ic un"ers!an"ing of !he problem# inear analysis of !his issue has many loopholes( as nowhere in !he worl" where pros!i!u!ion is legalize" has pro!ec!e" !he sex workers from occupa!ional hazar"s# There is no foolproof sys!em# This is subs!an!ia!e" by a recen! news i!em appearing in .eylon To"ay 620/11/20137 wi!h !he cap!ion 8Germany Government having second thoughts on legalized prostitution# 9nly a $ery few( especially some wes!ern coun!ries ha$e legalize" an" regularize" !his an" in spi!e of !heir robus! legal sys!ems an" moni!oring( !he sys!em is failing an" !ha! is why %ermany is on a re!hink abou! !his# Similarly( !here are coun!ries which ha$e legalize" bu! wi!hou! any regula!ions !o go$ern# 1ere( !he s!a!e of !he sex workers is miserable where law enforcemen! officers an" pimps ge! !he lion/s share from !he earnings of sex workers# Sex work an" pros!i!u!ion is segmen!al: There is full !ime an" par!-!ime pros!i!u!ion an" !here are s!ree! an" in"oor pros!i!u!ion# &n"oor pros!i!u!ion $aries ;uali!a!i$ely an" mos! of!en in poor unhygienic con"i!ions up !o fi$e s!ar ho!els le$els# 2 sex worker if recognize" by law may ge! legal s!a!us !o prac!ice !he profession( heal!h insurance( <=- > <T- if employe" by a business organiza!ion# 'oul" !hese guaran!ee !hem !he re;uire" pro!ec!ion) 'ha! is !heir economic $iabili!y in a compe!i!i$e an" age-"ynamic marke! segmen! an" loss of glamour( wha! is !heir life cycle( wha! woul" be !he "ura!ion of !heir ac!i$e prac!ice an" how many cus!omers can !hey ser$e per "ay an"

woul" i! amoun! !o a li$ing wage) These are unanswere" ;ues!ions !he a"$oca!es of !heir righ!s ha$e no! gi$en !hough!s !o# These raise ;ues!ions abou! !he sus!ainabili!y of commercial sex work $is-?-$is !he sus!ainabili!y of !he socie!y from !he "emeri!s of !hese ra"icals# 1ypo!he!ically( in a liberal socie!y( !he in!eres!s of !he sex workers nee" !o be pro!ec!e" if consi"ere" a legal profession# Then wha! of !he social an" en$ironmen!al cos! !o !he socie!y !ha! resul! from permi!!ing such a profession !o prac!ice# 'ho bears !he responsibili!y for !his) This issue nee"s !o be looke" from !he perspec!i$e of social cos!/benefi! fac!ors whils! balancing in"i$i"ual/s righ! !o exis!ence wi!hou! social cos! an" resul!an! "amage# @n"ers!an"ably( wha! is nee"e" here is !he reins!a!emen! of human "igni!y by repa!ria!ing !he sex workers back in!o !heir families an" respec!i$e socie!y an" pu! socie!y an" economy in righ! or"er !o crea!e "ignifie" s!a!us !o all ci!izens# To achie$e !hese( !he causal fac!ors !ha! con!ribu!e !o !his anomaly in socie!y mus! necessarily be a""resse"# The approach !aken by some !ha! a"$oca!ing !he legaliza!ion of pros!i!u!ion 5us! because !he !ourism sec!or is booming is no! !he righ! answer# &! is a fun"amen!al !ha! !he economy shoul" sus!ain !he socie!y an" no! !he o!her way abou!# .i!izens canno! be slaugh!ere" a! !he al!ar of an economy# To"ay( in$es!men! "ecisions in Sri anka "o no! necessarily consi"er !he social an" en$ironmen!al cos! of in$es!men!# This is "angerous( where !he economy is gi$en priori!y a! !he cos! of socie!y an" !he en$ironmen!( "efini!ely !he resul! woul" be !he horren"ous un"ermining an" "ecima!ion of socie!y an" !he en$ironmen! in !imes !o come# 2s a holis!ic approach !o bri"ge !his crack in socie!y an" !o pre$en! pros!i!u!ion from spawning( we nee" !o un"ers!an" !he inheren! sys!emic failures in our socie!y which cause pros!i!u!ion an" sex work !o !ren" as seen now# Some of !he con!ribu!ory fac!ors areA =o$er!y is a!!ribu!e" as a "ri$er !o sex work# &f !here is one female sex worker in business "ue !o po$er!y( !his is coun!erbalance" by a! leas! !hree !o four cus!omers per "ay of which some are unmarrie" "ue !o po$er!y an" solici! sex workers ser$ice "ue !o incapaci!y !o main!ain a spouse# &nces!( moles!a!ions an" faile" a"olescen! sexual experimen!a!ion an" resul!an! s!igma ha$e "ri$en some !o pros!i!u!ion# @nfulfilling e"uca!ion sys!em !ha! isn/! synchronous wi!h human grow!h "elays employmen! an" resul!an! marriage( !hus lea"ing !o premari!al sexual experimen!a!ion a! !imes "ri$ing !o ser$ice or solici! sex# 2"olescen! $ulnerabili!ies in families "ue !o mo!her an" or fa!her being abroa" lea"ing !o ungo$erne" life or become $ic!ims of circums!ances# +rugs an" human !rafficking ack of s!ewar"ship by family an" el"ers in !he forma!i$e perio" of you!h !o

lea" an" gui"e !hem on a $alue base" life# The abo$e are some of !he micro le$el fac!ors which "ri$e one !o be a sex worker# &n !he macro le$el( !he socio-economic fac!ors se! !he ambience an" ac! as !he "ri$ers of !his# -ollowing are some of !he socio-economic anomalies !ha! influence marginaliza!ion of !he $ulnerable in socie!y !o sex !ra"e# <"uca!ionA 4e"ian age of a Sri ankan gra"ua!e accor"ing !o !he &ns!i!u!e of =olicy S!u"ies is 2BC years( !ha! !heir secure an" s!able employmen! !o sus!ain a family life will be when aroun" 2D years( !his !herefore "elays marriage# Similarly( !he res! of !he you!h popula!ion( whose e"uca!ion an" employmen! securi!y e!c also con!ribu!es !o "elaye" marriage# These are !he prime of !heir you!h( lack of sexual fulfillmen! in life "ue !o "elaye" marriage po!en!ially "ri$es !o ser$ice or solici! sex informally# <mploymen!A Since mi" 1D70( successi$e go$ernmen!s in Sri anka ha$e faile" a! crea!ing !angible 5obs inshore# &ns!ea" !hey foun" an easy way !o elu"e !his responsibili!y wi!h !he openings in !he 4i""le <as!ern 5ob marke!s( selling our har" pro"uce" human resources for a cheap price !ha! "oes no! accrue !he "e$elopmen!al benefi!s for na!ional "e$elopmen!s# 2 large number migra!ing for o$erseas 5obs !hough ha" economic benefi!s also ha" social cos! by "ismembering !he family an" "amaging !he social an" cul!ural fabric of socie!y# %rowing sex !ra"e is par!ly a bypro"uc! of !his phenomenon# 'arA Three "eca"es of war in !he coun!ry "ismembere" communi!ies( broke social an" cul!ural barriers( uproo!e" people( "en!e" family s!ruc!ures( "ecima!e" social an" moral $alues of !he $ic!ims( migra!ions in"uce" beha$iour an" life s!yle change( li$ing as &+=s "es!roye" !he peoples fun"amen!al s!rains of "ignifie" li$ing# These a!omize !he socie!y an" "ri$es in"i$i"uals an" families !o sur$i$e by any means sans "igni!y an" "ecency as !hese !wo are no! affor"able !o !hese peregrina!ory people# These are also con!ribu!ory fac!ors !o !he problems un"er "iscussion an" !his warran!s a holis!ic an" an inclusi$e pos! war managemen!# <conomyA <merging pre"a!ory capi!alism by !akeo$ers( mergers an" gran" in$es!men! pro5ec!s wi!hou! any consi"era!ion of !he social an" en$ironmen!al cos! of such economic expansion woul" place !he li$es of !he ci!izens in !he han"s of !he few !o "ic!a!e !he way in which ci!izens shoul"

mo$e# These are "ebili!a!ing !o socie!y an" can po!en!ially "ri$e more an" more people below !he socio-economic s!ra!a !ha! !ha! !hey are now( !owar"s po$er!y an" a! !imes !o promiscui!y !o sur$i$e as social animals# The %+= an" =er .api!a &ncome woul" show a greener pic!ure bu! !he reali!y will be o!herwise# &n reali!y( Sri ankan sex workers are !riple $ic!ims# Their blooming you!h was "es!roye" in !heir incipience in !heir close circles: Social failure !o recognize !heir problems an" reme"y appropria!ely an" !imely > unsus!ainable e"uca!ional( social an" economic planning has con!ribu!e" !o wha! !hey are now# 00(000 sex workers in Sri anka is a challenge !o !he 3u""his!( 1in"u( .hris!ian an" &slamic social an" cul!ural $alue sys!em# The four ma5or religions in !his coun!ry shoul" rise !o !he occasion an" work in !an"em wi!h !he s!a!e an" !he socie!y# They shoul" pro!ec! !he social an" cul!ural $alues from erosion an" help sex workers !o !ransi! !o "ignifie" life wi!h "ecen! al!erna!i$e means of earning# 2 concer!e" ac!ion by !he socie!y an" sus!ainable socio-economic planning by !he s!a!e coul" auger be!!er life !o all ci!izens !o li$e wi!h "igni!y an" respec!# ,o ci!izens of mo!her anka nee" !o sell !heir flesh 5us! because of po$er!y or any o!her reason( if !he res! of !he coun!ry( men an" women ac!e" wi!h "ue "iligence#