Sex Work from a Feminist Perspective: a Visit to the Jordan Case

Abstract

Contributors to the prostitution/sex work debate whether they condone support or oppose criminalisation legalisation or decriminalisation of prostitution often rely on ‘facts’ to support their arguments. A common fact is that the majority of prostitutes/sex workers in the world and in South Africa are women. Thus when I refer to prostitutes/sex workers I refer to women working as prostitutes in the commercial sex industry. Furthermore the fact that the majority of sex workers are women justifies considering prostitution from a feminist perspective – women’s voices on the subject should be heard. In this note I shall use the terms ‘prostitution’ and ‘sex work’ to refer to the exchange of sexual services for money. The former more conventional term has a negative connotation while the term ‘sex work’ denotes a movement away from casting a moral judgment towards recognition that sex work is just another job. References will be made to the associated activities of brothel-keeping and pimping but the focus of this note is mainly on the provision of sexual services by the prostitute/ sex worker herself. (excerpt)