SEX “work” is described as the exchange of a range of sexual activities for some form of material compensation. The material goods offered in return are most commonly money, housing and drugs. 

At the heart of the sex industry are sex, class and race-based power imbalances. Most commonly, pimps are wealthy and male, and those most often prostituted are women facing poverty. The core issue with referring to this transaction as “work” is the issue of consent. To understand the issue of consent in the industry, it is essential to understand what initially drives women into it.

Inside Outside Scotland, supported by Encompass Network, is an aural recording project where women took part in recorded conversations with the Women’s Support Project and with Dundee-based photographer Kathryn Rattray to capture their experiences.