Born Into Brothels

Abel, Gillian, et al. Taking the crime out of sex work: New Zealand sex workers fight for decriminalisation. Policy Press, 2010. Part two: Implementation and impact of the Prostitution Reform Act (2003): the first five years: Review of the PRA

No matter where we are to go, there will always be a society, expectations, limits, love, and hate. It is never ending, but that is not the only reason people are feeling like they do. The documentary first focuses on the downgrading of women.

Sex workers inhabited the public space of Paris throughout the 19th century, their trade widely accepted as disreputable but necessary. When the French poet Charles Baudelaire was asked what art is, his immediate answer was “prostitution.” This proves that throughout history, artists have used prostitutes as models and muses for their artwork. Prostitution and painting go hand in hand. Among the first painters to use female models were Titian and Giorgione, producing Venetian reclining nudes, which appeared as advertisements for the most successful courtesans of Europe. These paintings hung in homes, showing real women as nothing more than an image to be looked at and judged by men. The interest in representing prostitution in art not

In the film, Born into Brothels (2004), British filmmakers Zana Briski and Ross Kauffman setout to present a perspective from the children of sex workers living in Red Light District of Sonagachi, Calcutta. This film, however incidental, demonstrate single narratives on the basis of morality, sexuality, and preconceived notions about the third world. Their attempt at filming an impartial ethnographic film that spoke of the true nature of life as a child in the Red Light District of Calcutta failed from their Western gaze and lack of insight about the community of Sonagachi to contextualize how the Red Light District and the poverty surrounding are a result of globalization. Acknowledging the “before” that Briski and Kauffman could never understand about the Red Light District because of their limited Western understanding about the third world, would’ve resulted in a more inclusive look into the subjective perspectives of the children. Instead, using footage and still pictures of the dirty allies, children covered in what seems to be oil, naked children chained like animals in a zoo, etc, as an aesthetic (lens) used to reproduce hegemonic narratives about the third world and objectively reflect reality. Additionally, these shots separate the people of the Red Light District from Westerners and establishes and “us” and a “them”, them being objects and not full established subjects.

During the film, I was able to hear the victims’ account of what happened to them as the portrayed their encounter with sex trafficking as well as their families experience. The youth remained anonyms for their own protection but, consisted of young girls in their early to middle teens. The girls were unanimous in their explanation as to why they would participate in the documentary, where they would be at risk of unmasking their identity. They didn’t want any other children to be sexually exploited, and have to live through the suffering that they have and continue to undergo. The consistent theme heard in the girls’ and their families’ stories was that their lives are forever changed. Before being trafficked, the girls were described as bright, vibrant, happy young ladies and after they are portrayed as broken, angry, and isolated. A representation that their innocence was lost. It was very heartbreaking to hear the trauma the youth underwent, as they described physical abuse and the use of drugs to control them. They were sold for sex up to 20 times a day without any choice but to comply. The mothers described how they felt when they first saw their children on the web page Backpage.com for sale. It was devastating. I couldn’t even image having to see my children in that type imagery being sold for sex. Once their babies returned home it was an adjustment. They blamed themselves as parents for letting this happen to their children. The youth also blamed themselves, they

Born into Brothels, shares the chaotic lifestyle of eight children and their mothers from the Brothels of Calcutta, in the perspective of the director, Zana Briski, and the deprived children. Using the basic techniques of photography, Briski teaches the children to document their lives through photos, which are then used as a baseline for the documentary. Born into Brothels revolves around Briski’s attempt to gain awareness and education for a small group of children whose lives are filled with tragedy. Being identified as a ‘white-privileged’ female from the United States of America, Briski carries a completely distinct perspective of the life in the ‘red light’ district, than the children themselves. She sympathizes with their situation

According to UNICEF, as many as two million children are subjected to prostitution in the global commercial sex trade. This issue very personal due to the fact that I currently work with teens who have either been a victim of human trafficking or could one day be a victim. And there is also long term damage that victims have to deal with including long-lasting physical and psychological trauma, disease (including HIV/ AIDS), drug addiction, unwanted pregnancy, malnutrition, social ostracism, and possible death. I believe the first step is to become more aware that this could happen to anyone it doesn't matter the race, gender, or social class.

Imagine a four year old girl growing up in contemporary Cambodia. Each morning she wakes up miles from home, homesick and scared. She is forced to beg for money for the brothel that she belongs to, and all of her earnings go straight to her master. Then, that night, about seven men come to the brothel. These men, some as old as fifty, often pay as little as two dollars to partake in sexual intercourse with these school-aged children. The toddlers enslaved in the horrific sex trade are forever stripped of their purity, making human trafficking a major issue in present day Cambodia. Over 30,000 children are sexually exploited annually (“Children for Sale”), and millions have been forced into human trafficking

Prostitution, as stated by Flemming, is known as a form of sexual activity, a kind of sexual style or category, and a form of economic activity, a way of making a living through the provisions of certain services, by behaving in accordance with, or falling into such a category (39). This definition, though, is controversial. While conducting research for this project, we found that most topics regarding prostitution and its affiliates were controversial. Each author gave a differing interpretation for the same data. Due to this, our project centered on the female prostitutes, even though there is evidence of male prostitutes.

Across the 19th century the image of the prostitute and how she is portrayed in different novels has evolved. While early depictions of a prostitute describe a woman who plagues society, later portrayals offer a much more human and sympathetic view. Across many works of the 19th century, there are several images of the prostitute that change overtime to reflect society’s view of these women. Between the character, Nana from Emile Zola’s novel and Lulu from the silent film Pandora’s Box, there is visible evolution of the 19th century prostitute and her relationship to society.

The rise of cities led to a lot of development in American society. Many people moved to the cities because there were more financial opportunities. Communities based on ethnicity sprouted all through the city and are still present all over the country today. Companies began building upward instead of outward to avoid paying large amounts for big plots of land and paying more property tax. Public transit was another new concept that came to be with trolleys and subways. Cities also saw the development of new power sources going from steam engines to water power to electricity. Different forms of leisure activities were established with the rise of cities such as the movies, amusement parks, and the Vaudeville theater where music and magic shows

This film showed me that sex trafficking is real and most people are completely unaware of it. Children at young ages become vulnerable,

This paper explores the tensions and synergies between rights, protection, and justice in the context of childhood and youth by exploring child prostitution with a focus on the experiences of young girls ‘Devadasis’ (temple dancer) in rural Karnataka, India. While looking at the historical and cultural factors of Devadasi system of sex work in India and analyzing the causes and consequences of this practice, this paper will put a special focus on the perspective of young girls and how this can challenge common understanding of child prostitution when the practice is social, economically and culturally embedded.

Perhaps the most disturbing, yet intriguing parts of the film were the interviews with the Cambodian male clients who justify their desire for sex with young virgin girls because of their cultural beliefs about maintaining their youthful appearance and health. Participating in sexual activities with virgins is also believed to be a way of avoiding the risk of contracting HIV/AIDS. The film delicately explains the cycle of young girls who are destined to remain in prostitution because there are no other options for them to earn money once they are forced into the

Both women and children are often times forced into the prostitution business. It is a big problem in society that harms vulnerable people. “Human trafficking is a crime that inflicts terrible harm on the most vulnerable members of society: victims of abuse, the poor, children, runaways, immigrants. It is in every sense a form of modern-day slavery” (Lippman). Sometimes women accept the job unknowingly. They think they are getting a legitimate job, like being a maid. They then find out what they really have to do and they are then trapped and enslaved (Weaver).