Rebuilding Imagination of Sex Work: Representations from Inside and Outside of the Community in Finland

In my work, I study (self)representations of people selling sex. Globally, sex workers’ human rights are threatened by formal and informal practices; however, the sex workers’ movement actively fights against the violations and harmful narratives about themselves. My study is based in Finland, a country where around 70 % of people selling sex are migrant workers, and the state is implementing a partial Swedish model of sex industry regulation, criticised for its weak ability to protect human rights. My argument suggests that the shared understanding of sex work is not only reflected in the narratives of sex work, but the reality of sex workers' lives is also (re)built in them, which makes it vital to critically study the publicly shared stories and images of the sex industry. In my presentation, I conclude the findings of my dissertation, which combines analysis of 1) the hegemonic discourse and counter-discourse of the sex industry in the policy preparation process and 2) sex workers' own artistic representation of themselves and the human rights they are demanding. A discourse analysis of 52 expert statements and the ‘Hoes – Sex workers’ statement’ museum exhibition applies Judith Butler’s theory of performative processes. It posits that some lives become defined as more livable than others, and some people’s voices are heard while others may face threats if they are publicly present, however with a chance of resisting the hegemonic practices. I also discuss the accessibility to various spaces of representation. In the policy preparation process, sex workers are underrepresented and misheard, but in the Finnish cultural sphere, such as in my research case, the city museum of Helsinki, they are getting new kind of support to be visible. Based on my study, while most of the experts are concerned about women’s safety and external criminality, sex workers and their allies' main concern is human rights. To become seen as equal humans, sex workers represent themselves and their work in a mundane light, sometimes with pride and joy. However, they do not deny the violent and negative aspects of the industry. Different from the hegemonic expert discourse that suggests fighting against the existence of the sex industry, sex workers offer solidarity and development of the human rights as an answer to the threats they face. Although sex workers have gained more visibility for their narratives, there are still sex workers, such as migrants, who do not have an opportunity to talk about their needs in the Finnish public sphere.