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Sex Work In India: Morality Vs Legality




Shreya Sen, B.A.LLB (Hons.), Kazi Nazrul University

ABSTRACT

Prostitution is an act of engaging in sexual activities, in general with someone who is not a spouse or a friend in exchange for immediate payment in money or other valuables, and is a controversial and often taboo topic. It has been present in various forms throughout human history and India is no exception. However despite being a prevalent issue in the country, the legality and morality of prostitution in India are still heavily debated.1Prostitution is illegal in almost all parts of the world. Regardless of whether one considers this to be positive or negative, prostitution is still a booming business and thrives despite the legal ramifications of the practice. The main cause of prostitution arises due to the orthodox Indian society which sees women as an object or a commodity. Prostitution is also prevalent in caste systems where women were marginalized and often sexually exploited and left to rot in the degraded system. Lack of sex education, kidnapping and abduction are some cause for prostitution.2 Some people see prostitution as a form of cruelty or barbarism directed at women and children that contributes to the emerging crime of human trafficking but in other’s point of view prostitution is world’s second oldest occupation, behind agriculture and it has long been practiced in India. Its existence is described in historical documents.

Keywords: Prostitution, Crime, Legislation, Moral, Legal, Immoral, Regulation, Sex work.

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Indian Journal of Law and Legal Research

Abbreviation: IJLLR

ISSN: 2582-8878

Website: www.ijllr.com

Accessibility: Open Access

License: Creative Commons 4.0

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​All research articles published in The Indian Journal of Law and Legal Research are fully open access. i.e. immediately freely available to read, download and share. Articles are published under the terms of a Creative Commons license which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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