In Shimoga, the sex worker groups did not offer microfinance facilities and hence, the sex workers did not save in these groups. However, these women were part of other local microfinance groups in which they saved and accessed credit
Member and non-member sex workers continued to engage in unprotected sex under financial duress and borrow from moneylenders and clients. In addition, membership in multiple microfinance groups increased their credit burden subsequently leading to more sex work and unprotected sex to repay the debt.
Sex work was the main source of livelihood for most of the FSWs except for few among the home- based sex workers, for whom it constituted a supplementary source of income. While home-based sex workers voiced strong preference for work other than sex work, street-based sex workers had visible increased financial benefits from sex work as compared to other livelihood options.
“I am able to earn ` 500 per day from sex work whereas ` 120 per day from working as a coolie. So, most of us prefer sex work to some other profession.”
(street-based FSW, non-member, Shimoga)
“My child was ill and my husband was away. I needed money and agreed to have sex without condoms because he would have gone away if I had insisted.”
(home-based FSW, member, Shimoga)
“I get a client from Bengaluru who comes once a month and will pay me ` 2000 but won’t use a condom. We have sex twice and he leaves in the evening. I have no problem with it because I need the money and he is a regular.”
(street-based FSW, non-member, Shimoga)
The persistent need for money coupled with the presence of long term and continuous relationships with some of their clients, also led to situations of unprotected sex. Along with the need for money, comfort and intimacy with the regular client, often led FSWs to have unprotected sex with those clients, even when there was no emergency.
All respondents had multiple sources of credit that they depended on during shortage of money. These included credit from the employer, moneylender, lover, savings and credit from the local microfinance groups, pawning ornaments, and loans from chit funds, neighbour’s, clients and shopkeepers near cruising points and from where they bought provisions.
Economic dependence on sex work continued to be significant for most sex workers. They agreed to unprotected sex for money during emergencies, such as when their child is ill or to meet other needs at home.
A more discomforting finding was that enhanced debt burden of the sex workers due to membership in more than one microfinance groups increased their vulnerability to unprotected sex. The need to generate money for the compulsory weekly saving deposits in these groups, along with other personal and familial demands, often led the FSWs to engage in sex without condoms.
Another form of exploitation is being asked for free sex, when the women are unable to repay the money borrowed. In a context of highly unequal and exploitative gender relations, women, especially those in sex work are often asked to agree to unpaid sex to repay credit.
However, majority of the respondents reported having rejected such propositions. Multiple steps have been taken by respondents to avoid free sexual services for unreturned money. These included seeking more time for repayment, rescheduling the repayment, borrowing mostly from women, avoiding credit from men who might ask for such favors and paying an increased interest rate. Even so, unpaid sex with clients to whom they are indebted continued to happen.
Most FSWs stated having control over the money they earned. Decisions on ways to use the money earned were made by the women themselves. Some of them did not inform the family about their income or hid the money earned, for fear of it being taken away by their husbands or lovers. Overall, FSWs were assertive about their right over the money earned.
“There are many sanghas and our women are members of at least three of them. If they pay ` 250 each into each of them and with a drunkard for a husband, there are bound to be money problems at home. We also do not get loans easily outside. We are forced to agree in situations like this.”
(home-based FSW, member, Shimoga)
“We buy the household essentials, non-vegetarian food, pay school fees, and buy liquor for the husband if he asks for it. We decide on it and also pay for it.”
(home-based FSW, member, Shimoga)
“I give the money I earn to my husband because he will torture me. He gives me ` 200 while I leave home in the morning and when I get back home I have to give all my earnings to him or else he will beat me up.”
“I don’t have the capacity to stop my husband from taking a decision on my behalf.”
(street-based FSWs, member, Shimoga)
In summary, membership in a group had not differentially impacted the economic vulnerability of FSWs. Even though FSW groups in Shimoga do not offer microfinance facilities, sex workers were accessing the same through other groups. Easier access to credit, instead of reducing the sex workers’ vulnerability to unprotected sex under financial duress, had increased their debt burden. It led FSWs to engage in unprotected and unpaid sex to repay debt.
Few among the street-based sex workers expressed inability to exert control over the income earned and being subjected to abuse from the spouse if they did not comply with his terms and conditions.
“I will tell I am a respectable woman and I have a husband and children, I am from this town, I am living in a rented or own house but we won’t talk about this profession.”
(home-based FSW, non-member, Shimoga)
“How can I say openly that I am a sex worker? It is not possible. If I say openly I am a sex worker, tomorrow there are chances there will be fight in front of my house.”
(home-based FSW, member, Shimoga) “I am worried my children won’t be respected if I openly say that I am a sex worker.”
(street-based FSW, non-member, Shimoga)
“I feel I am a bad person but am forced to continue in this profession.”
(home-based FSW, member, Shimoga) “If our men would have taken good care of our family there was no need for us to sleep with other men to earn a living.”
(street-based FSW, member, Shimoga)