Guilty Without Trial: Women in the Sex Trade in Calcutta

by Carolyn Sleightholme, Indrani Sinha

Carolyn Sleightholme and Indrani Sinha write with rare perception and sensistivity about the lives of sex workers in Calcutta who have shared their stories with them. Through interviews, surveys, and case studies, they interrogate the double standards of sexual morality that govern the lucrative sex trade in India.

163 pages, Paperback

First published September 30, 1996

Reviews

[Jitna Bhagani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dated but insightful nevertheless. Sample sizes used to make observations and later conclusions were limited as such (for example, the assumption that no daughters of sex workers go into the trade based on a limited sample). The personal accounts were interesting, although I'd recommend taking some of the conclusive 'facts' with a grain of salt.

An internal look into the atrocities in Kolkata's Sonagachi Red Light District, much of which is still ongoing several decades after the writing of this book.

[Ronit · Rating 3 out of 5]

An update of the situation would be very helpful.