The Women and Children of India’s Red-Light Brothel Districts: An Exploratory Investigation of Vulnerability and Survival During a Global Pandemic

Abstract

Globally, women and children were disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Vulnerable populations of women and children—including those who live in poverty, lack access to health care, have little informal support, and who face stigma and discrimination—were particularly susceptible to harm incurred by the pandemic. Using social determinants of health framework, this investigation sought to understand the lived experiences of women and children residing in an impoverished, resource-poor, urban brothel red-light brothel area district in India, at the outset of the pandemic and following the national lockdown(s). Four questions guided the investigation: (1) How did participants first hear about COVID-19 and what was learned regarding self-protective measures? (2) What daily life challenges were posed by the national lockdown? (3) To what extent were participants able to access or rely on informal supports support during the initial stages of the pandemic? and (4) What types of assistance, if any, did participants receive from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or other (e.g., governmental) sources? This is one of only a handful of empirical investigations elevating the voices of children residing in urban brothel-based red-light districts. Findings pose significant implications for practice, policy, and continued research.