On Mon, 29 Sep 2003, Marlon Menezes wrote: > In my opinion, simply banning prostitution or getting > rid of Baina is too simplistic. I would be in favor of > regulating this industry as is done in many countries > around the world. If a woman (or man) wants to sell > his/her "services" and if a customer wants to purchase > these services, they should be free to do so, so long > as they comply with a set of well defined laws....
Is it a question between banning and legalising? Have we seen the conditions under which the women work at Baina? Given the economy of the places where they come from (cyclone-ravaged coastal Andhra, drought-striken Karnataka) and the fact that they are overwhelmingly from disempowered 'lower' caste groups, is there any free choice involved? What is the role of the traffickers, bar-owners, politicians wanting to build a vote-bank in the area, and industry and port authorities who are convinced that the exploitation of their workers can be made a little less intense by, in turn, giving them the chance to exploit other women for the price of a simple meal? One relevant question that could be asked is how Goa's own 'devdasi' community managed an effective self-reform movement for themselves, from the 1920s onwards, while their neighbouring counterparts have been struggling to attain the same. What is more interesting is that this movement was led by persons from within this very community, rather than from outside. -FN ########################################################################## # Send submissions for Goanet to [EMAIL PROTECTED] # # PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), and avoid top-posts # # More details on Goanet at http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ # # Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to reflect respect to others # ##########################################################################
