Exploring the structural, social and economic factors that contribute to women doing sex work in the southern suburbs of Cape Town

Abstract

The aim of the research was to explore the structural, social and economic factors that contribute to women doing sex work in the southern suburbs of Cape Town in order to make recommendations that address those factors from a social development perspective. A qualitative research design was used to interview 23 street based female sex workers who worked along the Main Road from Plumstead to Kenilworth suburbs in Cape Town ... . Findings were drawn from the responses of the participants and compared with literature from previous studies on sex work and social development theories. The socio-historical context of apartheid through policies that deprived people of colour from accessing public services predisposed most women in the study to poverty and later led them into sex work. Women participants experienced vulnerability due to patriarchal oppression in away that exposed them to exploitation and being trapped in sex work. Among the social factors that led women into doing sex work was the origin of most sex workers from families at risk, a lack of social support and poor education. An overwhelming majority of sex workers entered sex work because of the need to find employment, the need to acquire capital to invest in future plans and the need to provide for necessities. Macro-economic policies such as GEAR were also found to contribute negatively to the socio-economic needs of people and exposing them to more poverty, leading into sex work.