An Introduction

Necessity never makes prostitution the business of men's lives; though numberless are the women who are thus rendered systematically vicious.

—Wollstonecraft, Mary also known as Mrs. Godwin

Orthodox, backward, narrow minded – that is how we define the Indian society and it is the people of this society who are shy, conventional and afraid of discussing sensitive topics like prostitution. But in the modern world of today, with everything progressing at a fast pace, it is high time that the Indian society comes out and talks about the controversial topic and does something concrete regarding it.

While the oldest profession in the world has been accorded legal sanction in various countries across the globe, the laws in India pay scant respect to the views of economically-advanced societies. What then, stops us from legalising prostitution when such a step can help curb exploitation of sex-workers by those who run the trade and, more importantly, assure better health for the prostitute, her client, his wife and yet unborn children.

More dirt piles up by sweeping issues under the carpet. Prostitution is a flourishing economic enterprise in India and should be recognised as such.

Closeting the oldest profession known to mankind as a morality issue not only amounts to ignoring the exploitation of the commercial sex-worker by parasites, who feed on the income she generates, but the larger issue of AIDS — a scourge which is on the verge of wreaking a global apocalypse.

What is required is a practical rather than a puritan approach. By according legitimacy to the sex-worker, millions of women who ply this trade to feed their families will be freed from the clutches of pimps, brothel-owners and cops on the take.

Additionally, in traditional red-light areas, the workable practice of targeted intervention will gain effectiveness.

Legalising prostitution will see these women, who live life on the edge everywhere, gaining access to medical facilities which can control the spread of AIDS, not only among sex-workers themselves but, at a more macro level, the customer, his wife and potential progeny.

Numerous nations across the globe which have legalised prostitution see strength in this argument. By failing to pay heed to the world order, India has only made prostitution a criminalised whirlpool involving various mafiosi — both governmental and otherwise — and a health hazard for women who are the victims rather than the vectors of AIDS.

Voices which speak in favour of legalising prostitution realise that a progressive society doesn’t ignore certain parts of its whole, but lives and lets live. Indeed, there is a very strong case to treat the sex industry as any other industry and empower it with legal safeguards which would rid this workplace of exploitative and unhealthy practices.