Browsing by Author "Masondo, Nonduduzo"

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    The politics of sex work: risk mitigation strategies employed by sex workers
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2024-03 ) Masondo, Nonduduzo; Gouws, Amanda; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Political Science.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Political Science.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Sex workers are one of the most stigmatised and discriminated individuals. Due to the criminalisation of sex work, sex workers experience extreme victimisation, violence, abuse, harassment, discrimination, and stigmatisation. Sex workers must protect themselves mentally, physically, and emotionally because of the limited protection resources available. The criminalisation of sex work increases the risks for sex work. Risks play a substantial role in sex workers’ lives as their professional and personal lives intertwine. Previous literature on risk mitigation strategies focuses inter alia on Australia and the United Kingdom. Literature on risk mitigation strategies in South Africa centres on health, physical violence, and police abuse risks but not on emotional risks. Emotional risks need to be analysed because they impact sex workers’ well-being on a personal and professional level. This study analyses and explores the different risk mitigation strategies that sex workers employ to deal with health risks, emotional risks, police abuse, and physical violence from a feminist standpoint methodology. To analyse and explore the risk mitigation strategies sex workers employ, exploratory semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with ten research participants. The research participants were working in and around Cape Town, South Africa. Sex workers are a tight-knit community, and it is difficult to access this community. Therefore, this study needed a gatekeeper, the Sex Worker Education and Advocacy Task Force (SWEAT), which facilitated access. An in-depth analysis of interview transcripts was conducted to generate thematic codes for understanding how sex workers perceive and manage emotional risks, health risks, police abuse risks, and physical violence risks daily. Findings show that sex workers are aware of the risks of being a sex worker. They are most concerned and stressed about physical violence risks and police abuse because police behaviour is unpredictable, and police can put them out of business. The relationship between police and sex workers is complex. Some sex workers form protective relationships with police officers to get protection in exchange for information on criminal activity or sexual favours. A quid pro quo relationship between sex workers and the police is established. The research participants were not concerned about health risks because they could receive healthcare support from SWEAT. Sex workers are the most concerned about client and police violence risks and the least concerned about emotional risks. To mitigate emotional risks, the research participants relied on alcohol, ubstances, and therapy. To alleviate the challenges that these risks pose, sex workers are heavily dependent on SWEAT and other NGOs and NPOs. All the sex workers rejected the criminalisation of sex work. It had brought hardship to their lives, and they favour the decriminalisation of sex work because it would allow them to work freely. This study makes a case for the decriminalisation of sex work.