A way into the light for prostitutes

WHEN Lisa became a prostitute, she gave up the idea that meeting strangers could be inspirational. But a week in India in March changed her mind.

In Bombay, pressing the flesh not of clients but of fellow sex workers, Hong Kong-born Lisa discovered support instead of the usual public contempt for her industry. And what impressed her most was the way her colleagues from around the world were not ashamed of their role in society, but instead had organised themselves to fight for their rights through trade unions.

Lisa, in her 30s, travelled from her tiny Shamshuipo workplace to attend a five-day forum about the sex industry organised by several international associations concerned with women's rights. Ziteng, a local concern group, paid her fare. Using her limited English and interpreters, Lisa talked with American and European sex workers about her difficulties working as a prostitute in Hong Kong.

It was an eye-opener for a woman who, though defiant about her job - 'I am certainly dignified, because at least I am earning a living with my own efforts' and alone without a pimp - was too afraid of recognition to give her real name.

She says she was forced into selling her body to support herself and her two children, and would not do it if there were another option. And coming from a place where she has no outlet to voice her opinions, she found it hard to believe that at the forum she spoke not only for herself but for all her fellow sex workers in Hong Kong.

'I was so honoured to be able to be there at the forum,' she says. 'It enhanced my self-confidence and made me realise that there are people out there who support our industry. Support might not come from those in high places - but it is understanding from normal people that counts.' Apart from giving her a break from the daily routine, the trip has opened her eyes to a world in which prostitutes are unashamed of their profession and know how to defend their rights.

'Now I know what assistance sex workers in other parts of the world have - social workers and the like,' she says. But her greatest encouragement lies in finding out about trade unions for her sector, which fight for their members' rights.