SEX WORK AND THE LAW - HIV/AIDS Data Hub

South Asia
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SOUTH ASIA
4.1 Overview
Nature of sex work in South Asia
Sex work in South Asia takes highly diverse forms. It is useful to make a distinction between
street-based workers, brothel-based workers, and establishment-based workers who
solicit clients from hotels, bars, restaurants, massage parlours and other venues. Some
brothel-based workers operate as bonded labourers, some rely on the brothel manager
or ‘madam’ for their working conditions, whereas others use pimps to organize clients or
work independently. Some commentators describe the category of ‘flying’ or ‘floating’ sex
workers, referring to sex workers who do not have a fixed place of business and may meet
clients in hotels, in parks, at transport hubs or on the street. ‘Flying’ sex workers include
part time sex workers such as students. Call girls or escorts comprise another category of
sex workers.
There are large numbers of male and transgender sex workers in South Asia. Transgender
sex workers are usually street-based. Male sex workers usually work independently or
may work through escort services. Male and transgender sex workers often work in public
areas such as parks or streets.
In Pakistan, it has been observed that sex work has evolved in the last two decades from a
predominantly brothel-based culture to a more diverse sector in which women, men and
transgender people sell sex in a variety of settings. 54
In Sri Lanka, most sex workers are street-based or operate from shanty dwellings. 55 In
addition to street work, some clandestine brothels operate in Sri Lanka and many sex
workers work from karaoke clubs or as escorts.
There are also culturally-specific sex work practices in South Asia, linked to traditional
roles that included provision of sexual services. In Nepal, badi traditionally made a living
by dancing and entertaining people at festivals and marriages. More recently badi has
become a practice whereby young women are trained to become sex workers as a
means of generating income. 56 Parts of India have similar traditional forms of sex work
54 UNAIDS HIV and AIDS Data Hub for Asia Pacific (2011), Sex work and HIV: Pakistan, p.1.
55 Government of Sri Lanka (2010), UNGASS Country Progress Report: Sri Lanka (Jan 2008-Dec 2009).
56 Center for Reproductive Rights (2004), Women of the World: Laws and Policies Affecting their Reproductive
Lives - South Asia. New York: Center for Reproductive Rights.
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