Summary: Problematizing Prostitution & Sex Work Among Huli Women

This article explores the phenomenon of prostitution, or sex work, among women globally, focusing on the monetization of sex and the reasons behind women's involvement. While economic necessity is a primary driver, with women using sex work to meet daily needs due to insufficient income sources, some women view it as a legitimate form of labor. The article highlights the negative impacts of sex work, such as increased HIV/AIDS and STDs. It narrows its focus to the 'Hulli pasinja meri,' or passenger women, in Papua New Guinea, who engage in sex work as a form of resistance against societal pressures and mistreatment. The stories of women like Ngai, abandoned by her husband and left to care for her children, and Tarali, infected with gonorrhea by her unfaithful husband, illustrate the difficult circumstances that drive women to sex work. The article concludes that judging these women without considering their economic hardships and societal mistreatment is unfair, as their motivations stem from survival rather than sexual desire.

Running head: SUMMARY
Summary
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SUMMARY 2
The article talks about the idea of prostitution or sex work among women around the
world. In the current world, women have monetized the act of prostitution, and that is why the
name sexual work word came in place in many countries. However, the questions that many
institutions ask is that, why should women engage in sex work? Consequently, women have their
own reasons why they engage in this activity, one of the primary reasons being that they want to
make money. There are insufficient sources of income among them, and the only thing they can
do is to sell their body to meet their daily needs. Apart from that, women claim that sex is labor
just like other job where one can earn her living. However, the impact of this business is evident
around the world. Some of the effects include an increase in HIV/AIDS infection and the spread
of sexually transmitted diseases.
The article explains the concept of sexual work by narrowing down to a story of Hulli
pasinja meri, who are passenger women in Papua New Guinea. These women started sexual
work not because they were aiming at getting money in return, but they were doing it as a form
of resistance to what they were passing through in society. From the story of these women, the
articles elaborate that before people judge the women who participate in sex work, it is essential
to consider what these women are passing through in terms of economics.
In Papua New Guinea, people use the term passenger women to refer to female beings
who take part in immoral behaviors such as prostitution. However, the name is universal to all
women in this field whether one gets money from this field or not. The only thing that people do
not consider is the factor that made women join such behaviors.
One of the sad things that give women the courage to join such immoral behaviors is the
treatment they get either from society or in their marriage. For instance, the article elaborates the

SUMMARY 3
case of Ngai to explain the reason for women to join sex work. Ngai’s husband had abandoned
her and the rest of the family while he was working in a mining place. The duty to look after the
kids and buy the basic needs for these kids is in the hand of Ngai. The painful thing is that Ngai’s
husband had taken another woman for them to enjoy money from mining. Another condition is
that of Tarali. Tarali makes an effort to look after her husband’s property. However, her husband
goes out to enjoy with another woman and later infect Tarali with gonorrhea according to Holly
Wardlow, (Summer 2004).
In conclusion, the above two cases show what women pass through in society. Even
though people judge women who engage in sex work that they have gone against cultural
directions, the idea is an assumption. It is important to note that there are economic issue and
treatments that these women pass which are not fair. These women do not engage in sex work to
satisfy their sexual desire but to find a way to meet their daily needs.

SUMMARY 4
References
Holly Wardlow, (Summer 2004), Anger, Economy, and Female Agency: Problematizing
“Prostitution” and “Sex Work” among the Huli of Papua New Guinea . Vol. 29, No. 4 , pp.
1017-1040
Retrieved from: https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/382628