“Sex” is a taboo word in many public spheres in Sri Lanka. Sex work, then, occupies an even more complex, contested, and ambiguous space of “liberation” for women. It simultaneously allows for a lucrative livelihood, particularly for women for whom motherhood and caregiving are central to this choice of work, while still being criminalised in the application of the law. This liminal space where moral and legal values are applied to sex work arbitrarily also challenges the safety and security of women who are vulnerable to gender-based sexual violence because of their “work”.

The retention of colonial era laws and values with nationalist gusto by those with vested interest, even as colonialism is rejected in favour of decolonising our minds, is a curious yet pervasive double-standard in today's socio-political reality. In this presentation documenting lived experiences in Sri Lanka, we explore how ‘performing coloniality’ impacts the everyday lives of women sex workers today.

Images by Don Wong