Comments on: International Sex Worker’s Rights Day

By: Krystal

Krystal — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:40:56 +0000

Yes, thanks for the recommendations! However, I think books like Half the Sky might be a good starting point for people to get introduced to this horrible problem. The fact that it is backed by huge celebrities like George Clooney, helps people that would not have otherwise cared about the book or movement, become interested. I guess my hope is that in turn, those people will become so engaged that they will want to become further educated and perhaps pick up books like the ones you recommended! Thanks!

By: Miriam

Miriam — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:13:58 +0000

Thanks for the clarification Audacia. It’s unfortunate that that’s a common trope among books like those.

Thank you for the other book recommendations!

By: Audacia Ray

Audacia Ray — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 22:45:05 +0000

Half the Sky doesn’t do a great job of highlighting the work of sex workers to claim their rights. Instead, Kristof and Wudunn treat sex workers as voiceless victims in need of rescuing. While conditions in the sex industry are deplorable around the world, the rescue mindset is patronizing and overly simplistic.

I highly recommend the books “Reluctant Bedfellows: Feminism, Activism and Prostitution in the Philippines” and “Sex at the Margins: Migration, Labour Markets and the Rescue Industry” – both are really thoughtful and complex books about an often ugly business and the human rights work that people are doing in and around it.