Bangladesh

Sex Work in Bangladesh a Wikispace Entry Isabel Kaufman

Abstract The topic for this Wikispace entry is female sex work in Bangladesh. Bangladesh is a country that is surrounded by India and shares a border with Myanmar (“Bangladesh Map”, 2014). Bangladesh is an economically depressed country. It is also one of the most densely populated countries in the world (Gazi, 2001). The status of women in Bangladesh is low. Males are considered more favorable in society. Due to this discrepancy women in sex work are further stigmatized in society (Jenkins, 1999). There are three ways in which sex work occurs in Bangladesh. There are brothels in the major cities as well as hotel prostitutes and floating prostitutes (AKM Ahsan, 2005). Women become sex workers for many different reasons, however sex trafficking is a major force in the Bangladesh sex industry (Kumar Das & Kundu, 2009). //Keywords: Bangladesh, Sex Trafficking, Brothel, stigma //

**Sex Trafficking in Bangladesh **  A common way women enter the sex industry is through human sex trafficking. Women are treated as commodities to be bought and sold. It is estimated that 200-400 young women and children are smuggled in and out of Bangladesh (Gazi et al., 2001). An exact number is difficult to produce due to the secret nature of the sex trade. Sex traffickers often kidnap women and children with the use of force and drugs. However, they also utilize tactics in order to seduce them and their families. They promise a better life for the women and children and their families as well. The sex traffickers may offer job placement or extra payment. Another tactic they use to persuade women uses “love”. The trafficker acts as if they are in love with the child or young girl. The trafficker will offer safety and protection, but instead they will just kidnap the girls and sell them off to brokers, sardarnis (madams in the brothel) or other sex traffickers (Gazi et al. 2001; Kumar Das & Kundu, 2009; Ullah, 2005). Sex traffickers intentionally find girls who seems lost or vulnerable because those individuals are more likely to follow the trafficker and believe their lies. The sex traffickers prey on women in busy public places such as bus stations and markets (Sarkar et al, 2008; Gazi et al., 2001). It was found that women who were trafficked into sex work were more susceptible to violence and harassment (Sarkar et al., 2008).

**Types of Sex Work in Bangladesh **  In Bangladesh there are three main types of sex worker. There is the hotel sex worker, brothel sex worker and floating sex worker. Hotel sex workers provide services in a hotel setting. They may even be employed by hotel management. If they are unable to take a client for any reason (health or emotional) they can voice their situation with hotel authority. These sex workers are not forced to take more clients than necessary. Floating sex workers work on the streets and move from place to place. They see a higher number of clients because they charge the least of the three types of sex workers. Both hotel and floating sex workers often live with their dalal (broker). They often are required to hand over half of their profits to the dalal for room and board (Ullah, 2005).  Brothel sex workers comprise the majority of sex work in Bangladesh. Brothels also have existed in Bangladesh for over 100 years (Jenkins, 1999). Brothels are neither legal nor illegal. When women are sex trafficked into brothels or make a choice to work in a brothel they have to sign a document. The women sign their names with the first class magistrate court then they sign an affidavit saying they chose brothel sex work on their own will and they are over eighteen years old. Even with this small attempt at legality many underage women sign these documents (Jenkins & Rahman, 2002).  Sex workers in brothels work under a sardarni. Sardarnis are older women who run brothels (They tend to be retired sex workers). They participate in the sex trafficking trade because they buy and sell women for their brothels. They want to find women who will generate the most income (Jenkins & Rahman, 2002; Kumar Das & Kundu, 2009). Sardarnis have a reputation of being tough and unforgiving. The sardarnis will force the sex workers to take as many clients as possible. There is strong atmosphere of competition in the brothels. Sometimes the workers faint from exhaustion from working with a large number of clients. However, the sex workers will engage in brutal sex just to avoid punishment from the sardarni (Ullah, 2005).  Women who are sold into brothels become forced into a form of “debt bondage”. This means that the sex worker’s family or a sex trafficker sold the woman into the brothel. This woman now has to earn her keep in order to pay off the debts to her sardarni and the sex traffickers or her family. Generally women in debt bondage cannot leave the brothel unless accompanied. This is a precaution to prevent the sex worker from running away from her debt. Debt bondage is a form of imprisonment. These women are put under even more pressure to take more clients because they have a chain of debt to fulfill (Jenkins & Rahman, 2002).

**Stigma of Sex Work and Police Involvement **  Sex work is stigmatized in Bangladesh. Once a woman enters a brothel as a sex worker she is officially out of shamaj (society) (Jenkins & Rahman, 2002). Brothel sex workers, when taking trips outside the brothel, must wear bare feet. This restriction is in place so the woman don’t try to sell sex outside of the brothel. Women working in brothels are further separated from society because they cannot marry and they remain disconnected from their families. Children born into brothels are stigmatized from the moment they are born. These children cannot register for school or work any job outside the brothel because the father cannot be named (Jenkins, 1999). Brothel sex workers are also prohibited from working any kind of domestic job after working in a brothel (Kumar Das and Kundu, 2009).  The Bangladeshi police exercise a lot control over brothel sex workers. The police require brothel sex workers to pay the police a lot of money if they want to take an overnight client (Jenkins, 1999). Law enforcement also take advantage of brothel sex workers. They will make visits to the brothels collect money (for no apparent reason) and demand free sex. They often abuse, harass and bribe brothel sex workers as well (Ullah, 2005). The police cause further problems for sex workers in brothels. A survey showed an increase in sexual violence by police toward sex workers (Jenkins & Rahman, 2002).  The literature illustrates that life as a sex worker is not easy. These women face obstacles every day from society and the government. Their safety and wellbeing is in jeopardy because of the lack of resources afforded to these women. Out of these difficulties have stemmed some very positive organizations that are working to help sex workers in Bangladesh. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16px;"> Save the Children is an organization that focuses on the wellbeing of children around the world. In Bangladesh this organization works to protect children from abuse, exploitation, trafficking and child marriage. They provide rescue and support services for children in dangerous situations such as brothels. Save the Children works with local organizations in Bangladesh in order to help children. Their main goal is to eradicate violence towards children. ( <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16px;">[] <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16px;">) <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16px;"> Organizations specifically designated for rescue also exist. Rescue Foundation rescues girls and children from brothels in Nepal, Bangladesh and India. They raid brothels frequently. Once the girls and children are rescued the organization provides rehabilitation services ( <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16px;">[] <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16px;">). Project rescue is another organization dedicated towards rescuing girls and children from brothels and sex trafficking in Asia. The provide restoration services for victims of forced prostitution. Project rescue is a religious organization ( <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16px;">[] <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16px;">).

<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16px;">References <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16px;"> Gazi, R., Chowdhury, Z. H., Alam, S. N., Chowdhury, E., Ahmed, F., & Begum, S. (2001). //Trafficking of women and children in Bangladesh: an overview//. ICDDR, B Centre for Health and Population Research. Retrieved from http://childtraffiking.com/Docs/trafficking-of-women-oct07.pdf <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16px;"> Jenkins, C. (1999). Resistance to condom use in a Bangladesh brothel resistances to behavioural change to reduce HIV/AIDS infection. In J. C. Caldwell et. al. (eds) //Resistances to Behavioural Change to Reduce HIV/AIDS Infection in Predominantly Heterosexual Epidemics in Third World Countries//. (pp. 211-222). Australian National University: Canberra <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16px;">Jenkins, C. & Rahman, H. (2002). Rapidly changing conditions in the brothels of Bangladesh: Impact on HIV/AIDS. //AIDS Education and Prevention, 14//(3) 97-106. doi: 10.1521/aeap.14.4.97.23882 <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16px;"> Kumar Das, S. & Kundu, I. (2009). ‘My body. My talk’: Empowerment and disempowerment trajectories of sex workers in Bangladesh. //Sociological Bulletin//, //58//(3), 403-421. Retrieved from:http://www.jstor. org/stable/23620666?origin=JSTOR-pdf <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16px;"> Sarkar, K., Bal1, B., Mukherjee1, R., Chakraborty, S., Saha, S., Ghosh, A., & Parsons, S. (2008). Sex-trafficking, violence, negotiating skill and HIV infection in brothel-based sex workers of eastern India, adjoining Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh. //Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition,// 26(2) 223-231. Retrieved from http://0-www.jstor.org.libcat.widener.edu/stable/23499494 <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16px;"> Ullah, AKM Ahasan (2005). Prostitution in Bangladesh: An empirical profile of sex workers. Journal of International Women’s Studies ,//7//( 2 ), 11-122. Retrieved from: http://vc.bridgew.edu/jiws/vol7/iss2/7