Migration, Prostitution and Human Trafficking by Min Liu

Author:Min Liu [Liu, Min]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Social Science, Criminology
ISBN: 9781351505444
Google: ZiRBDwAAQBAJ
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2017-12-02T04:39:42+00:00

6

Life on the “Job”

The preceding chapters examined the lives of prostitutes before they got involved in the trade, as well as the paths by which they entered into prostitution. The present chapter will concentrate on their lives following entry into prostitution, and will focus on their working conditions, lifestyles, and concerns. In spite of great media exposure, anecdotes and stories, or even novels of prostitutes at work, little is known about how sex venues are operated, what prostitutes’ lifestyles are really like, how they entertain themselves after work, how they perceive and view this work, and so on. This chapter aims to present readers with a profile of their life on the job.

In existing literature on trafficking, relatively little emphasis is placed on the fact that some women, although they may have chosen to work in prostitution, nevertheless end up in situations of forced prostitution and severe exploitation (Brunovskis and Tyldum, 2004). Women who have chosen to work in prostitution but who end up working under conditions that they cannot control or escape from, or who do not receive money for their work, should also be regarded as trafficking victims. Human trafficking may occur not only in stages of recruitment and transportation, but also in establishments of prostitution. A woman’s consent to work as a prostitute does not wipe out the possibility that she may be controlled, restricted, or forced to work after she initially agrees to a job in the sex industry. Nor does it mean that she cannot be considered a trafficking victim if she is held under conditions akin to slavery. Forced work and exploitation in establishments of prostitution should also be defined as trafficking. These considerations have led to examination of the conditions under which prostitutes work, the rules of the game, and the manner in which money is divided with third parties.

A prostitute is usually addressed as “miss” (xiaojie) in China. The reason behind this appellation has never been examined. Since the 1980s, waitresses at service facilities such as restaurant, hotels, bars or other entertainment establishments were addressed as “miss,” which was considered a form of courtesy. It was in these establishments that prostitution activities reemerged in the 1980s. Since some of the waitresses at these facilities provided sex services, the term “miss” became a euphemism for the term “prostitute.” In this study the two terms “miss” and “prostitute” are interchangeable. The four sex venues, namely, hair salons, nightclub/karaoke lounges, massage/sauna parlors, and the street vary significantly in terms of the services they provide, their operation and management, their regulations and prices, etc. and will be discussed separately.

Operation and Management of the Business

Hair Salons

Hair salons are the simplest operations when compared to the other two off-street sex venues in terms of the way the business is run, the employees involved, the services provided, and the magnitude of investment. Operating such a business does not require much investment. Basically, one needs to rent a place, and hire several misses. Usually, these are operated in apartment sized two-story facilities in residential or commercial areas of the city.

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