Mangalore  :

India-born German Chaya Maria Schupp, who has been searching for her biological mother from the past decade, is also another mission — documenting the lives of sex workers in Mumbai.

She is pursuing her doctorate thesis on the subject as part of an exchange programme between the University of Kassel, Germany, and Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. The thesis will document the lives of women in the red-light areas of Mumbai and how they cope with home and work.

Chaya, who started working on her thesis in 2011, plans to submit it early next year. “Only half of the work is done. I have interviewed countless sex workers and have come to understand their plight,” she said.

The major focus of her thesis is to study the system. Though Germany has many red-light districts, Chaya does not want to comment on it or compare it with the one in Mumbai.

According to her, women have been pushed into sex trade majorly due to poverty and violence at home. “There are different hues of women I have seen. Many of those who have joined voluntarily due to poverty do not enjoy it. Some come to make a fast buck. Some are forced into it. Some are happy and others unhappy,” said Chaya, who has studied women’s issues. “I like to study issues affecting women. My focus has been violation of women’s rights,” she said.

Chaya was six when she was adopted by a German couple.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Mangalore / Stanley Pinto, TNN / October 03rd, 2014