The History of Intimate Partner Violence in the Lives of Street-Based Female Sex Workers of Mumbai, India

Background: Kamathipura, the red-light area of Mumbai city is located in the heart of the city and at one time was considered to be Asia’s 2nd largest red-light area (Menen, 2007). The majority of women involved in sex work in this region come from very poor backgrounds and are forced into sex work. The purpose of this research study was to explore forms and experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV) among women living as sex workers in Kamathipura, India. The study delves into understanding the history of violence prior to their entry in sex work as well as current experiences of IPV.

Methods: Semi-structured, qualitative interviews were conducted with 48 female sex workers living in Kamathipura. The interview guide explored precipitating factors and process of entry into sex work, as well as specific questions about experiences of violence while living as sex workers in Kamathipura. Data analysis consisted of reading the data line-by-line, identifying themes and coding categories to uncover relationships between themes and categories. The age of participants ranged from 20 years to 60 years with a mean of 35.07 years. Thirty-eight women identified themselves as victims of sex trafficking, whereas 10 women indicated that they entered sex work voluntarily. Of those who spoke about education, 87.5 percent were illiterate or had no education and the others had very little education.

Results: Findings indicate that thirty-seven women (77 percent) reported the experience of violence at some point during their lives. Of the 37 women who reported the experience of violence, the perpetrator was usually an intimate partner or husband. The majority of participants reported having experienced both physical and sexual violence. Moreover, participants tended to associate violence with perpetrator alcohol use. The consequences of violence ranged from minor physical injuries to hospitalization and long-term illnesses among sex workers. Various themes emerged including a relationship between trafficking and IPV, alcohol as a catalyst of abuse, and victim-blaming. Participants tended to blame themselves for violence experienced at the hands of perpetrators.

Conclusion and implications: This study reveals the complexity of violence that occurs among female sex workers. The findings emphasize the need to increase evidence-based research on violence against female sex workers and other cultural factors that increase vulnerability to violence. These cultural factors are also likely to make women justify violence and hence remain in abusive situations. This calls for an integrated approach in prevention efforts as well as provision of services that can address experience with multiple forms of violence. The findings also emphasize the need to use lifespan developmental approaches while addressing violence as these women have been victims of various forms of violence at different points in their lives. Intense policy advocacy is needed to decriminalize sex work, to minimize violence and maximize safety in this area.