The women's movement is completely divided over the issue. Some groups argue that sex work is just a division of the leisure industry, and that because there are millions of women involved, it is necessary to regulate and formalise the industry to protect those working in it. On the other hand some women's groups oppose the whole idea of prostitution, seeing the issue as one which simply degrades women and prolongs the concept that women are primarily sex objects. The existence of sex workers is blocking the emancipation of women. Quite how they regard the status of individual sex workers is not clear.
Few governments regard women in prostitution as workers.
Yet apart from the uniqueness of the services, they behave as other workers and receive money in remuneration. But women in prostitution have no legal rights or protection under the law. Furthermore, even a casual look at the issues involving women in prostitution shows that they are in a vulnerable position, suffering frequent rape, beatings and robbery at the hands of pimps and clients, and harassment including violence from the police. For these reasons, irrespective of the moral argument, we believe that women in prostitution should be regarded as workers with all the national and international rights and protection afforded by laws and conventions. At a meeting in Zhuhai in January, NGOs involved directly with sex workers, the Asia Monitor Resource Centre, and sex workers from various Asian countries met to try to develop the debate and to raise awareness among labour groups.