Nag, Moni. Sex Workers of India: Diversity in Practice of Prostitution and Ways of Life.

• Author: Henson, Trudy Knicely
• Position: Book review

Nag, Moni. Sex Workers of India: Diversity in Practice of Prostitution and Ways of Life. New Delhi, India: Allied Publishers Private Limited, 2006. vii + 346 pages. Cloth, $35.00.

In what is presented here as the first attempt at a comprehensive, social-science examination of sex work in India, respected anthropologist Moni Nag utilizes previously published and unpublished studies and his own research, integrating ethnographic studies (e.g., of several Bedia hamlets) with larger quantitative studies (e.g., one study of 2,906 workers in six large cities). For each, Nag provides information indicating limitations and the comparability of data. Ethnographic studies and in-depth interviews locate the quantitative data in the cultural context of India.

Nag's motivation for writing this book is to provide a resource for nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and government agencies that are developing policies and programs that affect the lives of sex workers, an estimated 2.9 million of India's 1.1 billion people. Sex workers' risks of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), especially HIV, are of particular concern. Nineteenth-century British military leaders were also concerned about the intersection of prostitution and disease, threats to the fighting fitness of British troops, but their attempts at control failed. Nag reports on contemporary concerns and efforts to change conditions, integrating the topics promised by the title (i.e., diversity of practice and ways of life) with the public-health issues and efforts.

Eight chapters devoted to categories of Indian sex workers constitute the majority of the book. Four categories are also commonly found in other countries. The first three--brothel workers, call girls, and "floating" sex workers (streetwalkers)--involve only females, and the fourth is child prostitutes of both sexes. A fifth category covers a variety of male sex workers (heterosexual, homosexual, and hijra) (1) who provide services to other males. The remaining three types differ considerably from sex workers common in contemporary Western nations. One type is semi-nomadic groups in which prostitution, a major source of income for the family, is a hereditary profession followed by some of the women. Another is women in communities that traditionally earned a living from music and dance, supplemented by prostitution or concubinage. The last is females dedicated at a young age as Devadasi (Handmaidens) to the deities of some Hindu...