India’s brothel villages: where prostitution is not a choice but an inherited fate

When the birth of a girl becomes an economic decision

Far from India’s fast-developing metropolises lie villages where prostitution is not an individual life path but a livelihood passed down from generation to generation. Here, the arrival of a baby girl is not only a family joy but also an economic question: how will she support her family?

In these settlements, the bus stop often becomes the “workplace” instead of the school. A Deutsche Welle documentary offers a glimpse into the everyday life of such a community, where poverty, social stigmatisation and legal uncertainty are closely intertwined.

Dusty road, colourful sari, the only breadwinner in the family

In the film’s opening scene, a woman with her face covered waits for passing clients at an improvised bus stop. At home she has a baby, and in her large family she is the only one who brings in income, since she does adult jobs.

Previously, the income from this was used to repay loans and to finance a relative’s wedding. In recent years, however, client numbers have decreased and uncertainty has grown. In such villages, prostitution operates within institutionalised frameworks and in many cases is the only available source of earnings.

What does “brothel village” mean?

The term refers to rural settlements where sex jobs have become the community’s economic engine. In the poorest regions, this has become embedded in the social structure over decades, and today entire families’ livelihoods depend on it.

Girls often start working around the age of 14-15. One young woman interviewed in the film speaks about how, as a teenager, she was confronted with her family’s deep poverty and stepped into the same role in which her mother and aunt had worked before her.

Colonial legacy and enduring stigma

The communities concerned are in many cases descendants of ethnic groups that formerly engaged in performing arts and led a travelling lifestyle. During the British colonial period, several such groups were criminalised, officially stigmatised as “born criminals”.

Although the legal classification has ceased, social stigma remains.

Traditional forms of livelihood have disappeared, but dignified employment opportunities have not emerged in their place. The consequence: alternatives have narrowed, and women have turned en masse towards sex work.

When women are the breadwinners, yet prostitution persists

In these villages, men seldom take outside jobs. Women earn the family’s income, while male relatives organise the work and take care of household tasks.

Although at first glance this may appear to be a role reversal, the deeper social structures do not change. Numerous cultural and religious practices have legitimised women’s vulnerability for centuries. Some traditions, for example, offered young girls for temple service, which in many cases concealed or justified sexual exploitation.

The compulsion to make a living still creates a self-sustaining system today. An unexpected crisis - for example, the COVID-19 pandemic - can consume savings in an instant. They rarely gain access to formal credit or aid, so they turn to moneylenders, resulting in even tighter dependency.

Law and uncertainty: whom does the system protect?

In India, prostitution in itself is not a crime, yet activities around it - such as running a brothel or solicitation - are criminalised. This dual legal situation makes the affected sex workers particularly vulnerable.

Authorities often cannot distinguish between coercion and consent. Raids and “rescue operations” take place without legal representation and real livelihood alternatives, further increasing uncertainty.

Meanwhile, public discourse swings between two extremes: one claims that all adult work counts as violence, the other treats the situation purely as a labour law issue. The reality, however, is more complex. Coercion and adaptation, vulnerability and strategic decision-making can be present at the same time.

Is there a way out of the brothel villages?

In recent years, educational and rehabilitation programmes have appeared, as well as legal initiatives to regularise status. For long-term change, however, not only legislation but also a shift in social attitudes is necessary.

Dismantling prejudice and educating girls would be crucial.

Yet in places where daily subsistence is the most pressing issue, education is often a luxury. Without financial stability and social acceptance, exiting is still not a realistic option for most women today.

According to the RED-LIFE team, such stories highlight that the global reality of the adult job is not uniform. There is a fundamental difference between structured, consciously chosen adult content production and forced prostitution inherited across generations. Responsible professional discourse is only credible if we see this distinction clearly - and do not blur systemic exploitation with conscious, autonomous decisions.