Introduction

Informed by intersectional feminist theory and a holistic, strengths-based perspective on agency, this chapter outlines the historical, social, and legal contexts of cisgender women’s sex work in Kolkata, India. The first section analyzes how the gendered ideology of izzat (honor) and external and internalized forms of whorephobia control women’s sexuality, fuel stigma and violence against all women in India, and marginalize sex workers in particular. This is followed by a history of sex work in Kolkata, including major British colonial-era laws that influence public attitudes and governmental policies on sex work today. These historical and legal frameworks affect the risks and opportunities experienced by women in diverse sex work settings, including non-brothel, public venues, and brothel-based arrangements (i.e., chukri, adhiya, self-employed). The fourth section summarizes the ideologies and services provided by three types of non-governmental organizations to sex worker communities in Kolkata: rights-based; harm reduction and service delivery; and rescue, rehabilitation, and reintegration. The final section on research methodology and data collection provides the rationale for adopting the cultural biography approach over survey-based research designs and introduces the three women, Trupti, Geetanjali, and Srishti, whose life stories constitute the core of the book.