MTV, you’ve come a long way baby. In six short years you’ve gone from pimpin’ rides to pimpin’ girls, starting with the recent premiere of Skins, a remake of the hit British program by the same name. Immediately labeled “the most dangerous show for teens,” by the Parents Television Counsel and lambasted for gratuitous sex […]
Prostitution or Sex Work
Sex work or prostitution is the selling of sexual activity for payment, which can be dangerous if coercive or unregulated.
Terrorism Against Sex Workers: It’s Time to Take a Stand
For the past 7 years, December 17th has been recognized by sex workers and their allies as a day to recognize that violence against sex workers is endemic to many societies. It is also a day to commit energy toward making the cultural and working conditions of sex work safer. This is very different from […]
Meet the Blogger: Anushay Hossain
Anushay Hossain began her feminist career as an intern in her native country, Bangladesh, at the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) where she worked on microfinance and primary education programs for women and girls. As global programs director for the Feminist Majority Foundation (FMF), Anushay analyzes the effect of U.S. foreign policy on the health […]
UN Considers Rights of U.S. Sex Workers
Today, November 5, for the first time, the United Nations will, under its Universal Periodic Review (UPR) system, review the human rights record of the United States. That’s a pretty big deal period, especially since the process is comprised not only of self-assessments by the nation being reviewed, but also reports by civil society organizations. […]
Still Much Ado About Craigslist
Though Craigslist’s Adult Services section is offline for good, the debate about its role in trafficking continues. Most recently, Michelle Goldberg weighed in on The Daily Beast with an article that uncritically embraces claims about what the closure of Adult Services will do for underage girls. In doing so, she inadvertently confirms many of the […]
Newsflash: Canadian Court Strikes Down Anti-Sex-Work Laws
The provincial court of Ontario, Canada, struck down several key provisions that limit sex workers’ ability to work safely, a victory being hailed by sex workers’ rights activists. On September 28, three anti-sex-work laws were deemed “unconstitutional” and a violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Justice Susan Himel, a high-level Ontario court […]
Pole-Dancing Dolls, Sex Work During Ramadan and Gay Catholic Mass: Editors’ Picks, 9/5-9/11
The weekend is finally here and you know what that means: It’s time for another Ms. roundup! We bring you the best of the web–everything you might have missed while you were busy reading all the amazing posts for bell hooks week, from terrible toys to “race neutrality” to anti-Girl Scout zealots. “My Cleaning Trolley,””Pole […]
How To Respect Sex Workers
Most women have strong feelings about the sex industry, be they for or against. (And many, of course, remain undecided.) When dealing with such an emotionally volatile topic, it’s easy to inadvertently silence or even insult sex workers themselves. (As a participant in sex worker activism for the past four years, I’ve seen that in […]
Global News Roundup: China, Southern Europe, Japan, Bangladesh, Indonesia
This week, ‘fake virgins’ are the next big thing in China; gender equality becomes an economic necessity in Southern Europe; women suffer most from Japan’s economic recession; Bangladeshi prostitutes are given much-needed recognition; and Indonesia launches a women-only train line to fight sexual harassment. CHINA: A growing number of women in China are undergoing hymenoplasty, […]