Better pay drives women to prostitution

[La Lioness Priyanka]

Anahita Mukherji, May 1, 2011, 04.40am IST

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-05-01/mumbai/29492868_1_prostitution-labour-market-work-force

"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. "

[La Lioness Priyanka]

1. some of the stats in this study are extremely interesting

"Contrary to perception, 70% of both these categories of sex workers (those who entered the profession directly as well as those with prior experience in other fields) say they entered the field of their own accord"

"The survey shows that their incomes increased nearly five-fold on entering prostitution." (along with the note about women preferring prostitution to other manual labor.

[woo me with science]

2. "Drives" or "draws"? nt

[La Lioness Priyanka]

3. what does the difference mean to you?

[woo me with science]

4. I was commenting on your comment that

"contrary to perception," they did it of their own accord.

Selecting the word "draws" over "drives," I think, reflects that distinction.

[nomb]

5. One can be driven to survive, however usually one see's "Better Pay" as "draws". Money & Greed.

Don't know the details, just parsing the headline.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

6. unless better pay, still mean more or less subsistence living

its hardly like prostitutes in india (or most places) are driving around in their fancy cars and buying large houses