Gangubai Kathiyawadi is a movie based on true events. It is about a prostitute who was involved in some controversial reformations which are still not accepted by society. There has been a lot of debate on social media about how this movie has glorified a prostitute and how this movie portrays the reality of the prostitution world. There are limited ways to know about the facts but through various research, all around the globe, it can safely be said that many things are the reality of the prostitution world.

Is Prostitution a Crime?

This is an age-old question, still unanswered. There are demands to legalize prostitution in many parts of the world. There are also places where it is already decriminalized. It is a fact that legalized or not, prostitution is a business that will not cease to exist since mankind’s lust is never-ending. Decriminalization of it remains ambiguous because of the cultural norms people uphold. Especially in India, having sexual relations with anyone other than their spouse is considered to be a great sin by society.

There is also a term called ‘Victimless Crime’ which is associated with Prostitution. It means ‘the crime which does not have any victim or a crime where the offender and victim are the same so they are not considered as victims.’ It is believed that prostitutes willingly conduct the act of luring the men of society into their sexual business to gain easy money. They are considered to be shameless women who sell their body and pollutes the world. But is it the reality? Do they actually wish to sleep with a number of men every night just to gain money? Do they not wish to leave? There are countless questions like this but people do not like to discuss this because the ultimate answer is the truth they do not want to accept as it would deny all their conventional and comfortable beliefs.

How do prostitutes become prostitutes?

There are a number of reasons for a girl or woman to enter this disrespectful world.

1. Human Trafficking

Girls are lured from their hometown by various promises of employment, marriage, opportunities for growth, etc., and taken to new locations where they do not know anybody and also do not have any means to escape. There they are forced to work as sex laborers to survive. Are they not the victims for trying to live a better life and being thrown into an unknown and cruel world?

2. Responsibilities/Debt

If a woman has the responsibility of her whole household with no education and skill can help her provide for her family, what options does she have? She can seek the help of known but most people have become so inhumane that they seek advantage in a person’s sorrow. Lacking options for sustaining, they turn to prostitution to provide for their family, to pay bills, and debt.

3. Recidivism

Even if they manage to escape that situation, society does not accept them back as a normal individual but treats them like some filth who shouldn’t have come out of the sewers. This again leaves them with no options but two. Either they end their life because living in a society with respect becomes impossible for them, or rather go back to the way they were living.

Is escaping possible?

As I said above, escaping from a situation may be possible, but escaping the scenario is almost impossible. First of all, if they are not working individually but under a pimp then the pimp is not going to let her free even if he/she promises so. This is kind of a fixed income for them, and if one or two will leave then they have to go look for new ones asap.

Even after all this, if someone manages to escape then the community won’t let them live a normal life if their previous life is exposed.

What are the things they have to face?

So much for not being the victims, these are the things they face on daily basis:

1. Mental Agony

No prostitute enjoys being in this job. They go through the pain of forcing themselves to survive every day in a place they consider hell.

2. Health Problems

Having sexual intercourse with multiple men exposes them to various diseases like STDs, AIDS, etc. Not to mention repeated penetration can be injurious to vaginal health.

3. Social boycott

Society rejects having any kind of association with prostitutes. They are treated with hate and a judging attitude. Respect seems to be a word that they have to forget after entering this work.

4. Lack of affectionate relationship

The only relationship they can have with a man is sexual, and often find themselves longing for emotional attachment and love. The females there may live as a family together but the need for an actual family always stays there.

5. Their children

Getting pregnant becomes a common phenomenon despite taking precautions and many times they do not want to abort the child because the unborn child has every right to breathe in the outside world. In such scenarios, it becomes harder to fight with the world for their right as well as the right of their ‘unlawful child’. They can’t even provide a normal life to them let alone proper education.

6. Sexual Abuse

Many a time their customers abuse them sexually. Beat them up, try to have unnatural sex with them, to merely satisfy their fantasies. Sometimes their pimp, who is supposed to take care of them throws them to these vulture-like customers to get more money.

Conclusion

Gangubai Kathiyawadi is a film depicting all these aspects of a prostitute's life. Maybe I missed a few of them because there is a lot and we keep discovering. Sunny Leone is a great example of someone who escaped from the clutches of this unending agony and is living a good life now, but not everybody is fortunate enough. Thinking the things from a different perspective to understand if they are actually committing a crime or if they are the actual victims is necessary. 

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