The Longings of the Others
Germany www.sandrahoyn.de
Bangladesh is one of the few Muslim countries where prostitution is legal. The Kandapara brothel is the oldest and one of the largest in the country: it has existed for 200 years. More than 700 sex workers live there with their children, their madams. Their customers are policemen, politicians, factory workers, groups of teenage boys. Some are looking for sex, some also love and the company of a woman. The women are born in the brothel, are sold by family members or have fled their husbands. They must officially be 18 years old, but most are underage. These women are socially stigmatised outside their “homes” but choose to stay to support their families.