“We are Treated as Outsiders in Our Own City”: Lived Experiences of Intersectional Stigma Against Sex Workers in Kolkata, India

Sex workers in India experience intersectional stigma related to their gender identity, sexuality, and profession. The objective of the present study is to analyze the lived experiences of intersectional stigma against sex workers in Kolkata.

We interviewed 30 cisgender female sex workers in March 2023 in Kolkata, India. Interviews were digitally audio recorded, translated from Bengali into English, and transcribed and coded using thematic analysis.

We identified five main themes regarding intersectional stigma: (1) internalized stigma regarding the shame associated with being a female sex worker, (2) perceived stigma of sex work as a “dirty” profession, associated with lower caste status, (3) enacted stigma against sex workers who are mothers, (4) enacted stigma against the children of sex workers, and (5) reduction of stigma through unionization/labor organizing.

Intersectional stigma against sex workers is impacted by negative attitudes regarding gender, caste status, single motherhood, and occupation. We identified internalized stigma as a source of shame for sex workers. Sex workers also were perceived to be engaged in a filthy profession, associated with lower caste status. Those sex workers who were mothers experienced discrimination, as did their children. Respondents reported how collectivization has helped to address these experiences of stigma and discrimination.

Addressing the intersectional stigma against sex workers in Kolkata necessitates a shift in social attitudes. Findings underscore the urgent need for stigma reduction interventions and social policies, including (1) labor protections for sex workers, (2) individual/community-level interventions for sex workers, and (3) media campaigns to address stigma reduction. By understanding the lived experiences of sex workers, we may develop better interventions to reduce stigma in the lives of sex workers in Kolkata and throughout India.