In chapter two I adapted the principles of the strength based perspective of Hammond and Zimmerman (2010) to the sex work context. In this section I want to provide the principles in relation to what participants shared during the interviews.
1. Given the right conditions and resources, sex workers’ capacity to learn and grow can be nurtured and realised.
The National HIV Sex Worker plan stresses the need for sex workers to be trained in order to grow their resilience. The NSP (2017-2022) also emphasises the need for expedience of the sexual offences act which decriminalises sex work so that the conditions of sex workers can be improved and that resources can be freely available to sex workers without fear of stigma of discrimination.
2. Sex workers change and grow through their strengths and capacities
Depending on their level of skills, female sex workers indicated that they adapt to constant change using different coping techniques and safety precautions. They are in charge of their lives and do not need society to feel pity for them but to understand them and the reasons why they became sex workers.
94 3. Sex workers are experts of their own situation
The results indicated that sex workers are the experts of their situation and understand it better than people who are not in the sex industry. They showed resilience by adapting to many challenges they face daily, using safety precautions and techniques demanded by the situation they find themselves in. They understand that clients are two sides of the same coin; they are often abusive but also good in that they help them make a living to support their families. Furthermore, they are aware of what law enforcers could do to assist them.
Training programmes that are needed must be guided by sex workers as they know what they need and how those programmes could assist them.
4. Criminalisation of sex work is the problem, not sex work
The results of this study alluded to problems inherent in the criminalisation of sex work. It is a stumbling block for many good things that could happen in the sex industry. Criminalisation of sex work is an insult to efforts by the South African government to reduce epidemics like HIV through NSP (2017-2022), the National Sex Worker HIV Plan (2016-2019) and hate speech criminalisation through the Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill.
5. Criminalisation ‘blind’ sex workers from noticing and appreciating their strengths and capacity to find their own meaningful solutions
Sex workers who are often prejudiced and stigmatised, have a lesser chance of gaining the necessary psychological resources to be able to build their resilience and strength. As results indicated that sex workers felt a need to be empowered, the process of empowering them can be greatly undermined by the criminalisation of sex work.
Under criminalisation, the abuse of sex workers by clients and the general public is evident from their narratives. The abuse also makes it difficult for sex workers to find meaningful solutions to the challenges they face.
95 6. Sex workers are doing the best they can in light of their experiences to date
The results of this study indicate that sex workers are resilient and tap into many resources such as cohesion among themselves in order to survive the sex industry. They ‘chose’ sex work because of economic challenges they experience. The earnings made from sex work are used to upgrade their economic status and to help support their families and children.
Furthermore, they indicated that the public is required to be sensitised to the appalling conditions they work under and the reasons they became sex workers. They were of the opinion that they are doing the best they could under harsh South African economic conditions.
7. The ability to change is within sex workers.
Some sex workers indicated that if an opportunity arose, they could leave the sex industry, others indicated that they need to be empowered and continue working in the sex industry and others indicated that if they could be empowered, they will work as sex workers on a part time basis. The general public cannot decide on their behalf what is good, they are rather urged to respect their choices and support them.
8. Sex workers want good things for themselves and have good intentions
The participants in this inquiry indicated that by offering sexual services, they have good intentions and contrary to popular belief, they take all necessary safety precautions to protect themselves and their clientele. In closing, according to them, commercial sex is work and it is also a way of earning a living in order to support themselves, their families and their children.
96 Chapter 5
CONCLUSION, LIMITATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1. Introduction
The focus of this chapter would be to offer the summary, conclusion and limitations of this inquiry. I will also offer recommendations for further research. The research aimed at exploring resilience among street based heterosexual female sex workers in the city of Johannesburg.
The aim was to explore factors that promote active coping mechanisms on street based heterosexual female sex workers and to explore resources that are useful in assisting street based heterosexual female sex workers to become resilient.
The resilience-based lens (Fick, 2005; Scorgie et al., 2013) that informed this study managed to effectively elicit views (from research participants) that were psychological in nature. The strength-based approach to sex work research (Hammond & Zimmerman, 2010) indicates that sex workers have good intentions and are doing the best they can under the legislation which criminalises their work and which tramples their human rights.
The study used a qualitative transcendental phenomenological transcendental approach where experiences of twelve female sex workers were explored using semi-structured interviews. The approach employed allowed the researcher to gain a deeper understanding of sex workers’ experiences.