My Idea of Prostitution completely changed when I met this Prostitute

I remember how in 2006, I had a very interesting individual session. It was with a prostitute – and it really completely changed my mind about this profession! It cleared up with an idea that I had and opened my mind towards people in that profession! Maybe telling you about it will do the same for some of you?

Until the day that this woman came to me, I felt pity when I thought of prostitutes. I had heard and read of mafias that force poor women into selling their bodies. Of human trafficking rings that kidnap women from poor countries and bring them into rich countries where they have to work for their pimps while living in very bad conditions. Of women being drugged, raped, beaten and threatened, pushed into having sex with many men against money. Forced to offer themselves, exploited while having to do this and in deep misery about the fact that they are prostitutes, considered dirty or bad by society.

This was my impression of prostitution and I think I am not the only one who thought like this. In India, I had heard countless women and even men say ‘No woman would ever sell her body voluntarily!’ I had heard that women would never have sex for money if they had any other choice. Only if it was a very extreme situation, if it was about survival of her children and herself, she would do this.

When I met this woman and she told me that she was a prostitute, this image shattered into pieces!

It was such a nice talk, such a nice time, just how I had met thousands of other people before. We had a very normal talk and she talked about her profession very openly. Of course I was curious because she did not look like the abused women that I imagines prostitutes to be!

She told me that this was her work, her profession and that she had chosen this as her way to earn money. She had not been forced by anybody and was not working for a pimp. Some years before, she had finished her apprenticeship and had started working as a regular clerk. She had always enjoyed dancing as a hobby and started supplementing her income by performing in clubs. Talking with the other girls working in that club, she discovered an option to earn more. And that’s how she chose prostitution for her profession.

She was now only doing that and laughed about the fact that I was so surprised about it. ‘I have days off, holidays, like everybody else. I pay my taxes and I have health insurance. This is my business, I earn money by physical work, like a dancer or even a construction worker does! And the best thing: I am my own boss!’

This prostitute had consciously chosen her profession. I was amazed. This meeting changed my view on prostitution. Although I know there are a lot of all those bad things happening which I had imagined before, especially in countries where prostitution is illegal, like India, I now felt different about prostitution – and was happy to know that there were women actually enjoying this profession.

We had a really very nice talk and I will tell you more about it next week.