Socio-Legal Analysis of Sex Workers (Rehabilitation and Social Security) Bill, 2015

  • Tejaswini Kaushal, RMLNLU, Lucknow
  • February 5, 2022

Content :

Sex-work is one of the oldest professions and is currently being regulated by the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956. The Act covers numerous activities of prostitution including maintaining and operating a brothel, soliciting, maintaining yourself on the earning of sex-work, etc.  The historical conditions of prostitution in India have gone through several phases, yet the commonality is the constant oppression and abuse that these professionals face from society. At present, the prostitution laws in India do not provide for social security, rehabilitation facilities, sanitation, and healthcare facilities for sex-workers, resulting in exploitation and pathetic condition of most of the sex-workers. The Sex Workers (Rehabilitation and Social Security) Bill, 2015 was proposed to provide legal backing to such basic human rights of sex-workers. This research paper is an effort to carry out a socio-legal analysis of prostitution as a profession, the consequent victimization and oppression of sex-workers, and the analysis and importance of the Sex Workers (Rehabilitation and Social Security) Bill, 2015.

Keywords - Victimization, Prostitution, Sex-Workers, Trafficking, Rehabilitation.