Sex trade workers in Bangladesh : an exploratory study of the sex trade workers' movement and patriarchy, 18th century to 2002

Abstract

This thesis explores the situation of sex workers in Bangladesh through a feminist holistic analysis, and using a feminist methodology, it traces the status change of sex workers from the pre-colonial era to the present time. While sex workers' status deteriorated with the introduction of capitalism and British colonialism in the 19 th century, in recent times, sex workers have gained some significant political and socio-economic rights in Bangladeshi society. This thesis examines how a collective women's movement in the 1980s, stemming out of the UN Decade for Women and global feminisms have helped sex workers create a political platform to demand their women's human rights. The illegal evictions in 1999 of sex workers from the Tanbazar brothel has been examined in this thesis to analyze how national and international organizations, women's organizations and civil society responded to the evictions and through a collective movement created a political platform to demand sex workers' human rights. This thesis also proposes two overlapping and alternative approaches sex workers might consider using at the present time to look forward and effectively integrate their voices, concerns and needs into the policy and decision making arena and into the larger socio-economic and political realm in Bangladeshi society.