Sex Workers

Today I have been to New Orleans, I am enjoying the warmth of the south and the hospitality of the people, I was expecting to see Jazz clubs and music everywhere, however I did not find my expectations real.

Since I am clumsy enough, and I do not read maps, I have to follow my colleagues, so I ended up in the "Red light district" or the prostitution area. To be honest this is not my first time to such area, I have been a good tourist in Amsterdam, and my curiosity  took me to the Red Light district. It was quite an experience to see the sex workers in bikinis  dancing in show windows . that took place in May 2007. But this experience is quite easier than today experience for many reasons , first I was accompanied by colleagues from the Arab world , so I might received a harsh ethical judgment for being in such area as a veiled woman, the second reason is that I visited the Red light district in a week day at 3 pm and there were not too much actions to see there, unlike today where women almost naked where dancing in the balconies and many drunk guys flirting with them. and the last reason that we were mixed group of men and women, so that really irritated me.

I have to admit how progressive I might sound, but still I am really conservative when it comes to sex workers, I perceive it as an abuse against women. I am in denial when it comes to recognize that some women opt to be professional sex worker and they  consider it a profession like any other profession, that is the echo of my feminist conscience , however I find really hard to accept sex work as a form of women sexual agency, I know I sound very traditional conservative woman, but I can not figure what is empowering in  a woman offering a man a sexual services being under the pressure of need, however I think that sex work should be monitored by the state, to ensure the access of sex workers to health services .

Sex workers are one of the categories of women that trigger many questions in my mind, just wanted to share some ideas about it with you, may be later on I will have concrete ideas.