Prostitution, Feminism, and Sexual Exploitation Debate

Introduction: Is Prostitution Just Another Line of Work?

In answer to the question of whether prostitution is just another line of work, the most comprehensive and simplest answer is no, it is not. The reason is that there are too many complexities associated with prostitution — not just ethical and moral issues, but also social, legal, economic, political, safety, and theoretical issues that color the sex industry. True, one could argue that any field of labor could be discussed using the same terms, but the problem with prostitution is that it is a term frequently invoked without being properly defined. As Hallie Rose Liberto points out, when feminists discuss prostitution, they are discussing much more than the sex trade: they are discussing women's rights, women's alienation, women's health, and women's equality.¹ Because the issue is so charged with underlying meanings, it would be incorrect, at this point in time, to hold that prostitution is just another line of work.

This paper will show why legalistic interpretations of prostitution only mask the actual nature of the trade. Prostitution may be viewed positively by some women and some feminists, who prefer to think of it as just another line of work — but the grim reality is that even with regulation it remains taboo.

To suppose that prostitution is just another line of work is to compare the sex industry to any other type of labor. While no labor industry is truly free of exploitation or danger, prostitution carries with it attendant taboos — illicit sex, immorality — that remain embedded in many cultures both East and West. Even feminists disagree about how prostitution should be viewed: some argue that it injures women, while others focus on rejecting the moral stigma commonly associated with it, insisting that prostitutes should be treated as any other type of laborer. Even if one dismisses the moral questions surrounding prostitution, it cannot be considered just another line of work simply because of the controversies that surround it.

Legalization, Normalization, and Cultural Attitudes

To say that prostitution is just another line of work would be like saying gun running is just another line of work: there are often severely injured parties involved in the trade who go unseen and unnoticed. Normalizing prostitution, as Scott Anderson describes, would require a fundamental change in the cultures of many Western, Eastern, and Middle Eastern states.² Germany is one of the few countries in the West — alongside the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Greece, Turkey, Hungary, and Latvia — to embrace normalization by not merely decriminalizing but fully legalizing and regulating prostitution.

Decriminalization refers to lessening punitive responses to an offense — marijuana use, for instance, is currently being decriminalized in several U.S. states — while legalization means the offense is no longer treated as such, and individuals may engage in it lawfully. For a culture to embrace legalization is one step toward normalization. However, in many nations throughout the world, competing cultures coexist. Even in the West, a traditional culture represented by conservative values and morals — rooted in religious foundations — exists alongside a modern culture represented by liberal values and new moral codes rooted in modern philosophical foundations, such as ideas concerning the self and the will to power. From Anderson's point of view, legalization would help move a country's culture toward greater acceptance of prostitution, reducing the associated taboo.

This conception of prostitution is, however, somewhat simplistic. To believe that taboo is the only negative variable attendant with prostitution is to miss an entire range of issues that can potentially harm women in ways far beyond social stigmatization. Liberto argues that Anderson's account of prostitution is incomplete and that there are actually two distinct types: "sexual-rights-alienating prostitution and sexual-rights-preserving prostitution."³

The Feminist Framework: Sexual Liberation vs. Sexual Exploitation

From a feminist perspective, a woman taking ownership of her body and using her sexuality for financial or personal gain aligns with feminist thought. Yet, while sex work is legal in parts of the world — even in some counties in the United States — the taboo of "being a prostitute" persists. This may be because much of society does not identify with feminist thought and instead views sex work through a moralist lens rooted in older theological and philosophical worldviews — Christian, Muslim, Confucian, and others. In other words, prostitution could be seen as just another line of work by feminists who promote the idea of taking ownership of one's sexuality, while at the same time being viewed as degrading to women for reasons that will be explored below. The feminist perspective does not offer a clear answer: prostitution is a complicated issue, with some women engaging in it out of a sense of empowerment and others being subjected to it out of necessity or even slavery.

The central issue is the matter of sexual liberation versus sexual exploitation.⁴ Is the woman in that role because she chooses to be and benefits from it? Or is she there because she is the object of the "male gaze" and thus reduced to subservience to male desire for sexual pleasure? As Laura Mulvey points out, it is ultimately a question of will and control — which is essentially what lies at the center of feminist perspective.⁵

Feminism is about the empowerment of women. It grew significantly out of the work of Betty Friedan in the 1960s: she rejected the prevailing conception of women as dutiful housewives keeping the home clean while waiting for the man to return from work and tending to his needs.⁶ Her view of this model was that of a woman in a harem — a slave girl. Feminism rose in direct opposition to such a conception. Gloria Steinem, founder of Ms. Magazine, promoted the idea that women should take ownership of their own bodies, celebrate their sexuality, and acknowledge its power, influence, and effects. Steinem rejoiced in women's ability to discuss openly such controversial matters as having abortions, because doing so demonstrated that they were in control of their own bodies and need feel no shame in acting contrary to the values and traditions propagated during patriarchal eras, in which women were expected to adopt a more submissive role.⁷ Steinem, Friedan, and their feminist followers presented the sexual liberation side of the issue.

The other side — the sexual exploitation side — has been explored most fully by biographers of women in the sex industry and by activists who draw attention to the unfair and dangerous conditions facing women who work in prostitution. Often in cases of prostitution, women are not free to come and go as they might prefer: something is held over their heads — whether economic or social deprivation, or constraints arising from abuse, drug addiction, a lack of recourse to help, or an absence of contacts outside the industry.⁸ This is the sexual exploitation side of the debate.

Conclusion: Unanswered Questions and the Need for Dialogue

From one side of the feminist perspective, it could be argued that prostitution could be made safer through legalization. However, this would only be true in a limited sense. The fact of the matter is that prostitution is a type of work that allows individuals — including exploitative third parties — to commodify sexuality for their own benefit. Sex traffickers understand this and prey on women and children who are vulnerable. Legalizing prostitution would not end sex trafficking.

The questions that should be asked instead are: Why have traditional societies placed a taboo on prostitution? How should a feminist approach the issue of prostitution? Even if it were legalized, would it still be good for women, or is there something intrinsic to the selling of sex that undermines the personal and social fabric? These questions may not yield easy answers, but raising them facilitates dialogue. It is only through discussing these issues openly that we can arrive at a better understanding both of them and of ourselves.

Indeed, the feminist perspective may not have all the answers. It may turn out that other theoretical perspectives bring greater insight and sensitivity to the subject. The only way to find out is to continue to discuss and explore.

Bibliography

Anderson, Scott A. "Prostitution and Sexual Autonomy: Making Sense of the Prohibition of Prostitution." Ethics, vol. 112, no. 4 (July, 2002): 748–780.

Friedan, Betty. The Feminine Mystique. NY: Norton, 2001.

Hume, D., and N. Sidun. "Human Trafficking of Women and Girls: Characteristics, Commonalities, and Complexities." Women and Therapy, vol. 40, no. 1–2 (2017): 7–11.

Jones, E. Michael. Libido Dominandi: Sexual Liberation and Political Control. St. Augustine Press, 2000.

Liberto, Hallie Rose. "Normalizing Prostitution versus Normalizing the Alienability of Sexual Rights: A Response to Scott A. Anderson." Ethics, vol. 120, no. 1 (October, 2009): 138–145.

Mostow, Joshua. Gender and Power in the Japanese Visual Field. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 2003.

Mulvey, Laura. "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema." Screen, vol. 16, no. 3 (1975): 6–18.

Steinem, Gloria. Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions. NY: Henry Holt, 1984.