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The Side of Sex Work Feminism Doesn’t Talk About Enough
Why the idea of “empowering sex work” feels harder to defend up close
“Just one more month,” Tomi said, her voice quiet, but resolute. “Then I’m done.”
I raised an eyebrow. “You’ve said that before.”
“I know. But this time, I really mean it,” she replied, tugging at the hem of her outfit for the night. “It’s just… the money’s too good, you know?”
I watched her, the exhaustion behind her words obvious. “I get it,” I said. “But Tomi, is it worth it? You’re not happy.”
Tomi glanced away, avoiding my gaze. “It’s not about happiness. It’s about survival. What else can I do? I’ve not been able to find a job, and I have bills to pay. What do you want me to do, starve?”
“Sex work is work” sounded good, until I saw what it looked like
I had always believed the feminist narrative that sex work is work, that if a woman chose to sell sex, it was her right, her body, her choice. And in theory, that made sense. But watching Tomi, my roommate in university navigate this lifestyle made me question everything.
She wasn’t the only one. In the university environment, there were several other women around…
