A Selifish Request..................

We can call them in many names, but throughout the world they are doing one same thing. That is the world oldest profession. Both men and women engage on this profession willingly or unwillingly. There are movies, songs novels, research, legal frame work but nothing has able to reduce the sex workers. As population grows their number also increasing.

Few days ago there was a press conference in Sri Lanaka by female sex works asking the legal protection and make it more legitimate profession in Sri Lanka. One of the   female sex workers at the press conference giving easiest reason why they are engaging in this profession.Their point is only looking at one side of the whole picture that is only the men coming to the female sex workers. Men responsible for making them into sex workers.so continue their profession they need legalized professional acceptance from the society. But sex trade mostly women dominates by women. Even most of brothel owners are Women. Even former JVP Leader Somawansa Amarasinghe’s   sister was brothel owner. Legalizing will be good for them they can avoid lawyers fee.But there are real stories like   Travis in Taxi driver. we cant make the complete blame over men making women into sex workers.

No body can’t gain respect by law”. “Respect to be earned”, if these sex workers think legalizing this a will bring the respect to them as well their children it’s the most moronic dream. In reality we are too far away from the “Respectful Prostitute”   By Jean-Paul Sartre,

 Not only in Sri Lanka generally most of the time sex workers consider as women dominated thing. But in my understanding it’s not really true, even large number of men also engages in this profession.

Everyone has their own reasons at some point what they are doing. I f someone addicted to drug that is not his or her own fault. There are so many parties have responsibility of making someone drug addicted.But can we accept making drug ad-dictation legalized that will help make any  better change to the society. I don’t think so.

At one point we may be misled my someone, at one point someone may be forcefully make into a sex worker. But making legalize this profession will it make any better to them. During the Second World War large number of Korean women forcefully taken in to Japanese Military bases, these women were known as “Comfort women”. They were forcefully made into not sex workers; they were sex slaves for the Japanese army. But after the war none of these women did not ask legalizing their profession in Korea. They protest against what they had to face by force, but they did not ask the right to continue it. I’m pretty their lives must be divested by people with weapons.

In Sri Lanka there is a local proverb that is the “man who got into the well or a pit has to come out of the same way “, it seems Sri Lankan sex workers are arguing based on this. But this is not correct. Just because someone got raped or does not have a husband or forcefully made in to sex worker will not affect by making it in to legitimized profession. In Sri Lanka there may be situation people openly sending their wives, daughter and sister for sex work.it will definitely increased the number of sex workers, but generations will suffer over this.

It is a brave thing to stand out for our rights, but not for selfish reasons. They are taking examples form red-light districts in Bangkok and Netherlands. Well Thailand Pataya as well some parts of the Bangkok really sin cities. Nothing has made any better in Thailand for sure.

But Netherlands they have well organized social structure before sex work legalized. unfortunately we get influenced  the least appropriate thing from everywhere.If we really wanted be like Netherlands first thing we should do make public transport more efficient in urban .Sri Lanka traffic and poor condition of the traffic is more crucial  issues than sex workers in term of pollution and economy.We  are losing one billion rupees in everyday due to urban traffic. Actually when we fixed this issue we might think about legalizing sex work in Sri Lanka. Till that as it appear to me we are not ready for such drastically change in our society.

At the press conference one of the sex worker asked who is going to feed their children, according to her this is the only way of feed her children.

Cost of living and looking after families are common issues for everyone. Being a sex worker will it solve? If we want to earn money we can steal, we can sell drugs, we can rob banks, and even if we don’t do some one will be doing it. It is impossible to make the everything perfect. But legalizing any of above will it be a reason to minimize or any better to the society.

Like everybody else we can talk any rubbish to the media. Media has a huge responsibility what they going to give to the public. In my understand Sri Lankan media gave unnecessary publicity over this press meeting to make their media stations popular.

"When I was young and had no sense

In far-off Mandalay

I lost my heart to a Burmese girl

As lovely as the day.

Her skin was gold, her hair was jet,

Her teeth were ivory;

I said, "for twenty silver pieces,

Maiden, sleep with me".

She looked at me, so pure, so sad,

The loveliest thing alive,

And in her lisping, virgin voice,

Stood out for twenty-five."

- George Orwell