Ms. Magazine’s blog is upset because child prostitutes in Bangladesh are being given cow steroids. Brothel owners use these steroids to fill out the young girls to make them appear older. Older prostitutes use them as a food substitute, in addition to taking them for their “beauty” effects. One prostitute said they make her more attractive, which leads to more clients, which helps her buy her freedom back from her brothel owner.
A group called ActionAid is working to get the steroids off the market and away from madams and prostitutes. An ActionAid worker from Bangladesh said “We are creating awareness amongst the sex workers about the drug’s side effects. We are also holding meeting with the quacks who are selling the drug. In addition, we are reaching the policy makers in drug administration and civil surgeons who can really keep track and play an effective role in stopping this.”
I agree that forcing anyone, young girls or adult prostitutes, to take cow steroids is wrong. But I think the main issue here is the fact that these people are prostitutes. And from the quote from the aid worker, ActionAid has some degree of contact with these sex workers. Might it not be better to use their contacts and influence to get these people out of their current situation? Wouldn’t getting these people away from the brothels negate the need for the steroids, and get them away from the women pushing the steroids on them? And get them out of a life of selling their bodies?
I know it’s Pollyanna-ish of me to think that an aid group should be able to rescue the hundreds of thousands of sex workers in Bangladesh, where some prostitution is even legal, but I think it’s a shame to waste whatever influence this group has by talking about steroids. Why not talk to the girls about freedom? About the value of their lives?
What do you guys think? Am I being too hard on ActionAid?
A couple of groups I know of who are working to get child prostitutes out of the brothels and into a safe environment are Love146, Children’s Hope Chest, and She Dances. Any of them could use whatever help you could offer to help rescue young girls.
