The media in Bangladesh often fail to portray realistically the lives of sex workers, mostly due to social and political pressure and the stigma attached to the nature of their work, participants at a roundtable claimed on Thursday.
Journalists, lawyers, rights activists and sex workers participated in the round table on “Role of media towards creating a better environment for sex workers and their children,” organised by the Sex Workers Network (SWN) at the Dhaka Tribune office on Thursday.
The speakers also pointed out that editors and producers often categorise news about sex workers as “low priority,” compared to coverage of other issues.
Hena Akhter, general secretary of SWN, said media reports on sex workers and their children need to be “journalistic,” meaning unbiased and considerate.
Thanking a few media houses that stand up for sex workers’ rights, Hena said: “There are some media houses that are concerned about portraying us in a right way since they explore every possible angle of our lives. But unfortunately, most media reports convey a negative attitude against us to the readers. They (journalists) need to understand that we are already vulnerable. We hardly get any benefit from any institutions.”
Ruhi, a lawyer from Faridpur, said most journalists who report on sex workers’ rights do so as they have empathy towards them.
“I know there are many reporters who are not writing on sex workers’ rights, despite having information, since ethically they are against the profession.”
Dipti Baul of Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association said: “The journalists need to be truthful, irrespective of their ethical standards, particularly when writing a report.”
Journalist Shepon Habib said media houses tend not to publish news on sex workers’ rights as they think of the profession as “illegal.”
The speakers also suggested that alternative popular media, such as blogs and social networks like Facebook and Twitter, could be used to publicise the plight of sex workers and about their rights.
Lipy Lilian Rozario of Naripokhkho, Shihab Ahmed Shirazee of BLAST, Safia Ritchil of SWN and Md Shamsad Kabir of Community Health Care Project also addressed the programme.
According to legal experts, prostitution is neither legal nor illegal in Bangladesh. Although the country’s constitution stipulates that “the state shall endeavour to prevent prostitution”, any woman above the age of 18 may work as a sex worker with an affidavit.
