Abstract

The only time society thinks of prostitutes is when they demean women. Prostitutes have always been considered filth of society. Prostitutes fight a lot of unsung wars with society and most importantly themselves. These prostitutes have to live with the fact that for better opportunities for their children and families, they have to sell a piece of their souls. Although the profession faces a lot of backlashes and it has always existed in the world. Prostitution is a necessary evil that maintains balance in society. Even in a country like India where the profession has technically been legalized, the very jobs which could bring structure to the profession and would reduce the exploitation of the workers have been criminalized by the government. Authors through this article are attempting to highlight the plight of prostitutes from a human rights perspective and a labour rights perspective. Due to the nature of the work, the profession is considered to be part of the unorganized sector, and challenges related to sex workers are similar that of the challenges faced by workers in the unorganized sector. Various laws in and around the country regarding prostitution can also be seen in the paper. To understand the concepts clearly, the meanings of various terms have also been explained in detail. The authors have also highlighted an international perspective on prostitution and labour laws as well.

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