Sex work, labour, and empowerment : lessons from the informal entertainment sector in Nepal

"This book presents an analysis of the concepts of female empowerment and resilience against violence in the informal entertainment and sex industries. Generally, the key debates on sex work have centred around arguments proposed by the oppressive and empowerment paradigms. This book moves away from such debates to look widely at the micro issues such as the role of income in the lives of sex workers, the significance of peer organisations and networks of women and how resilience is enacted and empowerment experienced. The focus is on moving beyond a victimisation framework without downplaying the extent of violence against women in this industry experience. It conceptualises the theories of empowerment and power which have not been tested against women who work in this sector combined with in-depth interviews with women working in the industry as well as academics, activists, and personnel in the NGO and donor sectors. In doing so, it informs the reader of the numerous social, political and economic factors that structure and sustain the global growth of the industry and analyses the diverse factors that lead many thousands of women and girls around the world to work in this sector."