ABSTRACT
In the past five years, Colombia has received an influx of migrants with the political and economic crisis in Venezuela. While Colombia has accepted over one million individuals, many displaced individuals find their situations challenging to provide for themselves and their families;for this reason, many women have turned to sex work as a source of income (Ramsey & Sanchez-Garzoli, 2018). In Colombia, sex work is legal, yet it is unregulated, and much stigma persists, which limits access to formal social services (Doocy et al., 2019). In addition, the Covid-19 pandemic has brought additional challenges to both migrants and women involved in sex work (Kimani et al., 2020). This research examines the lived experiences of Colombian and Venezuelan women in sex work during the Covid-19 pandemic in Cucuta, Colombia.To conduct this study, 22 in-depth interviews were conducted with women involved in sex work: 12 Venezuelan and 10 Colombian in Cucuta, Colombia. Interviews were conducted from June to July 2021 in Spanish and were audio-recorded with the consent of each of the women. The women ranged in age from 18-59 years (m=33.1), and all interviews were conducted in the neighborhood of the workplaces of the individuals. Interviews were transcribed and translated to English and input into NVivo for thematic analysis.Chapter Two Findings: The women involved in sex work shared their experiences and the impact of Covid-19 on their work. Venezuelans shared their migration stories and their journeys into sex work and the changes to the industry since the Covid-19 pandemic. The women also shared their reactions to Covid-19 and their plans for 'after' the pandemic.Chapter Three Findings: Covid-19 had an impact on the human rights of the women. Through an observation of the Universal Deceleration Model, themes emerged relating to the working conditions and adequate living standards of the women. The women discussed their hardships with obtaining groceries, paying rent, accessing medical care for themselves and their children, and their working conditions since Covid-19.Chapter Four Findings: Social support for women in sex work and migrants is essential. The majority of the women relied on informal support services such as family members. Limited support is provided amongst the women because of competition and stigmas. For the women who have desired formal social support, limited services were provided. Through the observation of the social services available for the women, a gap persists in the desired and the availability of services.Implications:This research has various implications for social work practice and future search. This research demonstrates the importance of practicing self-determination, empowerment, and dignity and worth of a person when working with women in sex work. Advocacy and community awareness are important to decrease the stigma received by women and to promote the human rights and decriminalization of sex work. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)