Prostitution as a Grey Area: Examining the Coexistence of Structural Constraint and Women’s Agency

Prostitution as a Grey Area examines the complex relationship between structural constraint and women’s agency within prostitution. Moving beyond the conventional binary of empowerment versus exploitation, this book explores how poverty, gender inequality, caste, migration, trafficking, social stigma, and legal structures shape women’s choices and lived experiences. Drawing on historical, sociological, feminist, legal, and cultural perspectives, the book examines the Devadasi tradition, Mughal courtesan culture, colonial regulation, Sonagachi, Kamathipura, and contemporary legal developments in India. It also compares different international approaches to prostitution, including criminalization, legalization, decriminalization, and the Nordic model. Rather than treating women involved in prostitution solely as victims or entirely autonomous actors, this work argues that agency and vulnerability can coexist. It calls for a balanced, rights-based approach centered on dignity, safety, informed autonomy, social protection, and meaningful choices.