Jamaican Researcher

Sex Work: A Source of Income for Many Poor Jamaicans

Finding meaningful employment that can pay the bills and help to address the socioeconomic needs of many of Jamaica’s poor is often times elusive. For many young women, sex work has become a saving grace enabling them to meet the financial needs of self and family members.

Although sex work is scoffed at by many in the society–especially because of the need to maintain the perception of a moral society on account of Jamaica’s notoriety as home to the most churches (in the world) per square mile–The reality is, sex work is a common source of income for poor women, and is becoming increasingly so for poor men.

As humans we have a natural instinct to survive–sex workers see their job as their means of survival, but the fact that it is illegal in Jamaica presents significant challenges in relying on it as a means of supporting the growth and development of self and family.

I find it pretty funny listening to people casting judgments on sex workers, because they feel that it was a deliberate choice–many of us with our tunnel views refuse to see how our Government is responsible. Our Government has a responsibility to provide the resources necessary to prepare the work force for the specific kinds of employment that are available and  it is also responsible for ensuring that work is available and accessible to All. Therefore, rather than casting judements on sex workers’ employment choice, let us, as responsible citizens, implore the Government of Jamaica to stop for a moment and critically assess the capacity of the Jamaican poor to respond to the demands of the labour market. Further, I ask us all to consider, what are we really doing, as a society, to guarantee secure, rewarding, and meaningful employment for Jamaica’s poor?