الدولة "القوادة": تنظيم أو عنف؟ احتجاجات عاملات الجنس في تونس بعد الثورة

This proposed study begins with the protests of sex workers in Tunisia’s state-supervised "closed" brothels following the January 14, 2011 revolution. These workers raised numerous slogans, the most notable beingwidely circulated within Tunisia and local and international media - "No veil... no hypocrisy... I am free with my vulva." While these protests are considered a rebellion against the patriarchal system, the state's regulation of this profession raises numerous issues conflicting with freedoms, rights, and equality. This regulation is seen by some as a form of exploitation and marginalization of women. Some even argue that the state acts as a "pimp," commodifying women's bodies as goods within the capitalist system. Despite this critique, sex workers still require state "protection." This paper aims to dissect this paradox and understand the formation of sex workers' protest actions.
The paper begins by exploring varying feminist perspectives on sex work and its regulation. It delves into the historical organization of sex work in Tunisia. Before colonization, society struck a balance between two contradictions: rejecting sex workers on the one hand and acknowledging the male-dominated society’s need for them on the other, leading to tacit tolerance. French colonization institutionalized the "closed house" system based on European models in Tunis, intensifying isolation and control. After the January 14, 2011 revolution, certain "extremist religious" groups shut down some brothels, arguing that state regulation of sex work contradicts the Arab-Islamic identity of the society.
This closure prompted sex workers to protest against the shutdowns and threats from these groups. Their first protest occurred outside the Constituent Assembly, followed by numerous other demonstrations exerting pressure on the state. They also signed petitions and met with officials. Various newspapers and media outlets covered their protests, conducting interviews that shed light on the lives of this marginalized group, revealing their social, economic, and health struggles.
This paper draws on newspaper and magazine articles and interviews with sex workers on television programs to analyze Tunisian society's representation of their protests. These representations range from support and rejection to debate over third-party interference in their work. Additionally, the paper seeks to understand the state's position on these issues.
The protests by sex workers and their demands to reopen "closed houses" are urgent calls for state protection. However, this does not negate the marginalization and exploitation they experience at the hands of the state itself. Does this imply that the state acts as a "pimp"- collecting taxes from sex workers, subjecting them to strict surveillance, denying them their rights, and sacrificing them whenever necessary? Can sex workers taking to the streets be considered a step toward changing their status and exposing the exploitation they endure? Could this signify a new phase where one of society's taboos -sex- is openly discussed in Tunisia?