Prostitution, violence and female migration in Spain

 Carmen Meneses-Falcón, profesora propia, Facultad de Ciencias Humanas y Sociales, Universidad Pontificia Comillas. cmeneses@comillas.edu. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5368-4253 

Olaya García-Vázquez, investigadora FPU, Instituto Universitario de Estudios sobre Migraciones, Universidad Pontificia Comillas. ogarciav@comillas.edu. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3625-274X 

Prostitution is the subject of some of the most complex and fragmented of all current debates in Spain. To contribute to this debate and understand the situation facing women in this sector, ethnographic data and 41 interviews were gathered over three years. The results show, among other things, that women engaged in sex work are affected by several types of inequality and intersectionality (gender, nationality, ethnicity, family burdens, administrative status, language, level and location of prostitution) that shape their situation within the sex industry, offering them greater or lesser protection from violence. The threat of violence comes above all from clients, partners, pimps, the conditions around them and police persecution. What is more, negative and criminalising attitudes towards prostitution lead to greater stigmatisation and violence. In spite of this, women have developed self-defence mechanisms and created support networks.

Keywords: women, immigration, prostitution, sex work, criminalisation, Spain

How to cite this article: Meneses-Falcón, Carmen y García-Vázquez, Olaya. «Prostitución, violencia y migraciones femeninas en España». Revista CIDOB d’Afers Internacionals, n.º 133 (abril de 2023), p. 113-135. DOI: doi.org/10.24241/rcai.2023.133.1.113

Revista CIDOB d’Afers Internacionals, nº 133, p. 113-135
Quadrimestral (January-April 2023)
ISSN:1133-6595 | E-ISSN:2013-035X
DOI: doi.org/10.24241/rcai.2023.133.1.113

Reception date: 01.09.22  ; Acceptance date:  27.01.23

>> The full text articles are available in Spanish language