ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a brief overview of indoor sex work in the some selected locations in the global South, that is, South Asia and the global North. The lives of women in South Asia are determined by customs and traditions. In South Asian countries such as India and Pakistan, inter-generational sex work is determined by caste and traditions. Furthermore, there are hierarchy and status difference among brothel-based sex workers in these countries. On the other hand, in some Northern countries, such as in Germany, the Netherlands, and in the state of Nevada in the United States, sex work is legalized. In the global North, the nature of sex work varies depending on the policy environment, the presence or absence of contracts, whether brothels supervise sex workers directly such as in Nevada or whether sex workers are independent agents without any employer–employee relationship. These cases of sex work in the global North demonstrates that sex work is differently organized in these countries than the global South, that is, South Asia. This chapter argues that whereas policy, legal framework and nature of employment determines sex work in the northern countries, traditions play a vital role in shaping sex work in the global South.
