First off, women who do engage in sex work do it because of a circumstance that has left them with no other options. For example: Economic instability, past sexual abuse by a family member, forced sexual exploitation at a young age by adults and a bad drug addiction are some of the reasons why women do this work. Here an example that’s NOT a reason why they engage in sex work: because they want to and they love having sex with many different men, they enjoy it. Nowhere on this earth has this ever been a reason. Now, there are people out there that want to help them stay in this cycle. The first group are the activists that believe there is nothing wrong with allowing women to engage in sex work as a real job instead of offering them skills and better options. They buy into the narrative that they do enjoy it and it’s their body they can do with it whatever they want. What they also do is advocate for safer and cleaner working environments as well as access to health insurance benefits just like a real place of employment.
I do wonder though if their daughter approached them and said they didn’t want to go to school, they would rather sell sex for money, would they feel the same way? Food for thought.
The second group is the men that want these women around so they can do basically whatever they please to them. The have voided out the fact that they are  human and have told themselves that she’s “different” and not a real woman that has feelings, a mind and will talk back. She will stroke his ego, tell him what he wants to hear and perform for him any sexual perversion he asks for because if she doesn’t, she’ll pay the price. That’s the reality of sex work a reality that is not told.
Sex trafficking survivors are having a hard time with this narrative because more people are apt to believe the sex work scenario than the force, fraud and coercion definition of trafficking. All of this gets very muddied and clouded, one cannot make a clear judgement or conclusion. Victims of sex trafficking are just that-victims, women who engage in sex work are victims too but in a different way, they are willing victims. A willing victim is someone who enters into criminal or immoral behavior to either fill an immediate financial need in their life or because of past abuses and psychological damage that left them with little to no options in life. And of course drug addiction. A victim of sex trafficking is someone who has experienced force, fraud or coercion as the UN definition states because it is a global problem.
I understand that the issue of trafficking has become a hot issue and everybody wants to be involved but, facts first. You cannot just get one side of the story, don’t just talk to sex workers and then proclaim that you’re an expert in sex trafficking. That will make you hugely unpopular. That argument disproportionately skews the information on whose an actual trafficking victim and who has willingly went into the sex trade. This type of advocacy makes it harder for law enforcement and organizations that help and support victims to recognize who they are. We want to give women better options not support them in something that will make them a stigma on society or bring them to an early death. I have worked with countless survivors and none of them advocate for sex work or are on the same side as those advocating for it.
If you don’t know the difference between sex work and sex trafficking or victim and willing victim or even survivor then before you do anything, get the facts on BOTH sides. Present your findings that include the voices of these women, their experiences, their fears, their life. Also some women are not going to be forth coming with the truth because of shame and fear, so know that not all of the information will be accurate. And most importantly DO NOT inject your opinion or thoughts or beliefs into your research. This is not about you or your feelings, this is about telling the truth and representing both sides fairly and accurately. Let’s end this war.

BeaSister2aSister is a 501(c)3 non profit that helps survivors of human trafficking, domestic violence, abuse and exploitation become self sustainable and have a dependent free life. If you would like to learn more please email us at: info@beasister2asister.org. If you would like to donate or be a monthly donor please visit our website at: http://www.beasister2asister.org. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Samantha Inesta
Founder/Executive Director
BeaSister2aSister