Escort Work and Motherhood

This book examines the complex relationship thatexists between lone motherhood and sex work.Utilizing interviews with fifteen independent escortworkers from Edmonton and Toronto the authordemonstrates the need for policy makers to recognizethe different environmental contexts of mothers andthe uniqueness of individual experiences in order toproduce more targeted and effective policy. The interviewees reported leading a double lifecharacterized by shame fear stigmatization anddiscrimination. It was discovered that the doublelife which many of these women live is not onlystressful but also a serious impediment to theirability to effectively parent. The author argues thatit is the current legal status of sex work whichposes barriers to these women and asserts thatdecriminalization and the recognition of sex workeras work will grant these women access to the supportthat other working mothers may have. Beyond decriminalization the author makes a seriesof recommendations that were based on the needsexpressed throughout the interviews. Theimplementation of these recommendations could behastened by decriminalization and a strong sexworkers union.