Agency and exploitation

Two sides of one coin? Women’s experiences of selling sex and engaging with NGOs in Dhaka

Bibliographic Data

ID9972376
AuthorsBethany Jennings (0000-0002-5144-6948, The University of Edinburgh, UK, corresponding author), Viviene E Cree (0000-0002-9995-1820, The University of Edinburgh, UK), Steve Kirkwood (0000-0003-1508-0835, The University of Edinburgh, UK)
Year2020
Volume65
Issue4
Pages761-772
Publication date2020-10-06
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Social Work (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0020-8728 • E-ISSN: 1461-7234
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/0020872820959371
OpenAlexW3092526867
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited25

Social work has long been concerned about women’s involvement in the sex industry. This article asks what can be learned from sex workers themselves about how social work might better support those who work in the industry. Based on a qualitative study in Bangladesh, it is argued that although the non-governmental organisations who worked with these women helped to increase their feelings of agency, violence and abuse continued to feature in their daily lives. It is concluded that in order to more holistically meet sex workers’ needs, social workers should understand better the ways in which agency and exploitation co-exist

Agency (philosophy · Business · Economic growth · Economics · Feeling · Order (exchange · Political science · Public relations · Qualitative research · Sex work · Social science · Sociology · Work (physics · Engineering · Gender Studies · HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk · Medicine · Psychology · Sex work and related issues · Sexuality, Behavior, and Technology · Social Psychology · Social Work

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