Prostitution in Indian Society
● Prostitution is one of the oldest profession that still in place
even after generations in our society.
● It is perhaps the most hated profession. Hated in the sense
that people who visit them actually enjoy it, but in society,
they pretend otherwise.
● As labour, these activities are exposed to particular risks with
respect to health, working conditions, exploitation and
stigmatisation.
● However, research on the actual conditions and circumstances
existing in these markets, remains limited.
Lets discuss prostitution in INDIAN SOCIETY and the Dogma around
it .
Pain Points Social Status: Education, Healthcare,
Sanitation
Economic Status: Poverty
Legal Status: Trafficking, violence
against prostitutes
1. Social Status:
In India, Prostitution is legal, but organized activities such as brothels and pimping are illegal. Prostitution is not
regulated. UNAIDS estimated there were 657,829 prostitutes in the country as of 2016.
Healthcare
The section of the society most vulnerable to “Sexually Transmitted Diseases” are prostitutes. Neither they have
the awareness regarding STDs nor do they get health-care facilities to get proper treatment.
Education
Pimps and brothel-keepers often control access to the women and prevent their access to education, resulting in a
low to modest literacy rate for many sex workers. Prostitutes have zero to negligible exposure to Education which makes
it even more difficult for them to get out of this vicious cycle.
Sanitation
The living conditions of Prostitutes are terrible. They do not have access to proper
housing or clean water.
2. Economic Status:
Economic Status: Poverty and Prostitution go hand in hand. The majority of the earnings of these women are taken up by
the middlemen or brokers.
The negotiations with the clients can go as low as Rs 100, out of which these women have to pay rent as well. Being part of
an unrecognised working sector, these women do not come under any provision or benefits of the Government as well.
3. Legal Status:
Violations against Prostitution
Violence against sex workers in India is linked to the perception that they are criminals and
not citizens. This has led to systemic and systematic violations of human rights of sex workers,
such as the right to life, dignity, equality, equal protection and due processes under the law.
Stigma attached to sex work exposes them to violence in personal spaces from family members
as well as from intimate partners. The data of abuse is mentioned in table.
Trafficking
India is also a destination for women and girls from Nepal and Bangladesh trafficked or the purpose of commercial sexual
exploitation.Indian women are trafficked to the Middle East for commercial sexual exploitation. Once the women is used in such
trafficking, there is very less chance they can survive for long. The human trafficking data is given in graph.
Reforms
● Decriminalise prostitution and to create a framework that–
○ Safeguards the human rights of sex workers and protects them from
exploitation
○ Promotes the welfare and occupational health and safety of sex workers
○ Is conducive to public health
○ Prohibits the use in prostitution of persons under 18 years of age
○ Implements certain other related reforms
Reforms
● Provides protection for sex workers by making it an offence, with a penalty of up to 14
years' imprisonment, for anyone to induce or compel another person to provide, or
continue to provide, illegal sexual services, or claim any earnings derived from sex work.
● Formation of a cell to address issues related to sexual abuse specific to prostitution
○ Fast track cases and provide quicker resolution
○ Strict guidelines for consensual sex
● Provision of a comprehensive framework for trafficked victims,setting up of an
anti-trafficking unit
Bottlenecks
● Implementation of laws to regulate Prostitution won’t be an easy task in a
country where the voices of this section of the society goes unheard.
● Contacting Prostitutes to Educate them would be very difficult because these
women are controlled by Brothel Owners who run the entire Flesh Trade.
● Predefined stigma of people towards these Sex workers would be very hard to
get normalized .
Solution to Bottlenecks
1.We should provide awareness all over the country through
Debates,Entertainment Programs,Cinema,Conferences and Political meeting .
2.Brothels and Red Light areas should be legalized and should come under
Government reforms so that the owners can’t misuse the vulnerability of
innocents.
3.Providing proper education and awareness to people will help us to eradicate the
stigma .
Conclusion
Everyone is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years who
(a) Keeps or manages, or acts or assists in the management of any brothel; or
(b) Being the tenant, lessee, or occupier of any premises, or any part thereof to
be used as a brothel; or
(c) Being the lessor or landlord of any premises, or the agent of the lessor or
landlord, lets the premises or any part thereof with the knowledge that
premises are to be used as a brothel, or that some part thereof is to be so used, or is wilfully a party to
the continued use of the premises or any part
thereof as a brothel.
Team Member
1. Aniket : Intensive brainstorming and owner of Idea
2. Pratik : Template formatting, Information gathering (Legal
Aspects)
3. Chanakya : Problem solution and analysis
4. Vignesh : Problem description and its aspects
5. Sumit : Research paper analysis
Thank You
