Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Fair Trade In Thailand

This week in THE NATION Subhatra Bhumiprabhas wrote a controversial article arguing that many of Thailand's sex workers are safe at their workplace and are in no need of rescue. "Being a sex worker these days isn't what it used to be, at least for those whose rights are backed up by the Empower Foundation. Much has improved - no more pimps or mamasans, and fewer punches thrown their way. Being "rescued", though, causes them all sorts of problems." The writer contends that anti-prostitution laws are more harmful to the sex workers than their supposed exploiters at the beer bars, go-go palaces, massage parlors, and brothels. Even Empower Foundation contends that "We have now reached a point in history where there are more women in the Thai sex industry being abused by anti-trafficking practices than there are women exploited by traffickers." This statement may be true for the women working Nana Plaza, Phuket, or Pattaya, but few NGOs are welcome in the clandestine brothels servicing the low-end of the market. The girls at this dens of inequity are still subject to abuse by the owners and customers. The Empower Foundation is working hard to right this situation for working girls in Thailand and around the world. Empower's survey has determined that: - Today's sex worker provides enough income to take good care of the family. - Their workplace - usually an evening entertainment venue - has regulations, covering work schedule and monthly salary paid according to skill level. Thus, sex workers are employees. - Gone, for the most part, are the days of random arrest, regular violence, pimps, the prostitution mafia and the "green harvest", when girls are recruited upcountry. In their place are helpful "older brothers" - the motorcycle-taxi or tuk-tuk driver, the bar manager. - Sex workers now have hi-tech tools like smart phones and the Internet, and they're also skilled at using them. Sex. It's good for business. It's good for women. It gives them power. To read more about Empower Foundation please go to the following URL http://www.empowerfoundation.org/index_en.html

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