Leaving Behind Judgment: Analyzing The Life Of A Sex Worker
Leaving behind judgment is a major part of understanding the life of a sex worker. We have all heard of the term “sex worker,” but often our assumptions about it are anything but flattering. Many assume that these workers are controlled by rogue traffickers, have no autonomy, and thus no control over their own lives. The truth might be closer to the opposite – that sex workers are creative and independent individuals who have taken charge of their careers in ways most people can only dream of.
The stigma around being a sex worker is based largely on a lack of understanding. How can we learn to take a step back and examine what this life really looks like without letting our judgmental tendencies kick in? Here, we take a closer look into the life of a sex worker and find that it is far from what most people believe it to be.
Most often, the myth of sex work comes down to the notion that sex workers are coerced into their work. The reality though, is that most of these workers are entrepreneurs. They choose when, where and how to work, and do not, in overall terms, suffer direct violence or exploitation from sources. This is not to say that every aspect of their work is safe, consensual, and enjoyable, but there is an element of control that the sex worker possesses over their own career.
To uncover the agency of the sex worker, we must also look at the social context of their work. adult ads share camaraderie among their peers, who often become a support network for them. Clients, too, often develop a relationship of trust with their workers, and a healthy sense of respect is developed over time. It is important to also note that in urban settings the social acceptance of sex work is growing, indicating that the stigma around the profession is beginning to fade as more people come to terms with the realities of the industry.
Furthermore, the money that is paid to sex workers is not to be discounted. Some sex workers make a great deal of money, particularly in comparison to the wages they would have to accept working in other professions. Long working hours mean that these workers are able to save serious amounts of cash, allowing them to move into better places, invest in assets and life opportunities outside of sex work, or simply live more comfortably.
The idea of sex work being an activity completely disconnected from personal will is an outdated tactic of oppression. It's time to take a step back and allow sex workers to be people with control and free will, and look at other real job limitations that we impose on them. We must consider the possibility that the sex worker's job is only dangerous in due to stigma, criminalisation and a lack of access to basic workers' rights and protection.
In a society which criminalises sex work and denies sex workers basic rights, the profession carries significant risks of exploitation and violence. Sex workers can be subject to exploitation of their rights to wage-equality, secure housing, freedom of movement, privacy, and quality medical attention. In extreme cases, sex workers can also be victims of kidnapping, physical and sexual harassment, and forced imprisonment. Though, it is important to note that much of the strain placed upon these workers is due to their lack of access to basic human rights, and not the profession itself.
Sex work does not have to carry the stigma it does. While there are risks associated with being a sex worker, it is not an inherently dangerous profession. It's important to take a step back and allow sex workers to be people with control and free will, and to imagine how different their work might look if we as a society democratised and decriminalised it. This would provide sex workers with better access to quality healthcare solutions, economic stability, basic labour rights and the freedom to be autonomous in their decisions.
It does not take a major effort to simply stop judging sex worker and instead make the effort to understand the real life problems that sex workers face. To create a space where they feel safe to be true to themselves and to recognise the need for their voices to be heard and respected. Taking a step back to look with an open mind at the complexities of the life of a sex worker, and the multitude of advantages and challenges, might just be the start we all need to learn to appreciate a different side of life.