Prostitution persists due to its high demand in our society
KARACHI: Pakistan is one of the few remaining countries where prostitution is still the main source of income for many women and transsexual people. The burden of making ends meet cause them to take up prostitution, which still can be financially exhausting as they are either not paid enough or sometimes not at all. Other reasons may include that they were given up to the streets when they were born or became outcasts as in the case of many transsexual individuals. With the ever-growing discrimination against women in the Pakistani culture and society, they will constantly be forced to return to such means of earning for a living. Prostitution is often regarded as an act of sexual violence, with the only difference being that it entails “societally forced” consent. Prostitution is a social evil which is arising in the society due to its widespread culture of sexual violence, needs and lacks of sex education. Blaming women for their lack of self-control with regards to men is another example of gender discrimination existing in the Pakistani society. Prostitution persists due to its high demand in our society. Poverty, illiteracy, economic unacceptability, runaways, low pay and societal injustice are the causes due to which women enter into prostitution. Even a close look into this issue not only highlights the reasons behind prostitution but it illuminates the gender inequality existing in the society coupled with sexual violence and our conservative mindsets. Women protection bureau, welfare centres and NGOs are recommended to work to rescue such women. With that a stronger and clearer federal stance is also required. As the rules of society discriminate in a sense that the law punishes or arrests females who are involved in prostitution. They are sentenced for up to 6 months for a first-time conviction; but authorities do not hold to account the male counterparts involved in the act too.
Zoya Rao
Published in The Express Tribune, November 27th, 2019.
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