Selling sex in Kenya: gendered agency under neoliberalism

Introduction: gendered neoliberalism and sex work -- Neo-liberal transformations and gender in Kenya -- Gendered livelihoods and 'bargaining with patriarchy' -- Selling sex in Mombasa -- Dreams and strategies of women selling sex -- A Vicious circle: work-related dangers and obstacles for exiting sex work -- Connecting global and local: Kenyan state, NGOs and sex worker movement -- Conclusions: Gendered limits of agency in a neo-liberal world

As Kenyan women traditionally have fewer formal employment opportunities, often occupying lower-paid jobs in the informal sector, the experiences of women who earn money in unorthodox ways can offer revealing insights into the agency of women and its limits. Grounded in the narratives and life stories of women selling sex in Kenya, Eglė Česnulytė reveals the range of gendered and gendering effects that neoliberal policies have on everyday socio-political realities. By contextualising and historicising contemporary debates in the field, this important interdisciplinary study explores the societal structures that neo-liberal narratives and reforms influence, their gendered effects, and the extent to which individuals must internalise neoliberal economic logics in order to make or improve their living. In so doing, Česnulytė counters the prevailing male-dominated studies in political science to place women, and female-based narratives at the forefront.