ABSTRACT The paper examines the role sex work played as a livelihood opportunity for women to meet short and long term needs. Post 2000 Zimbabwe underwent a major socioeconomic crisis which culminated in world record inflation rates, widespread poverty, high unemployment, food and cash shortages. This culminated in 2008 where the country suspended its currency and adopted a multi-currency system with the American dollar gaining prominence as the mode of exchange. Sex work has a long history in colonial and post-colonial Zimbabwe but post 2000 period requires a nuanced analysis of how this livelihood activity has evolved in response to the ever-changing macroeconomic context. Participant observation and unstructured interviews with female sex workers point towards their ability to actively respond to macroeconomic changes. Agency demonstrated by sex workers characterizes how they adjusted through the context of crisis and hyperinflation in Zimbabwe. The findings point to an increased inflow of income for sex workers which have translated to an improved livelihood despite poor working conditions which are reinforced by criminalization and penalization of sex work in Zimbabwe. The paper thus argues that sex work is an occupational sector with participants who make rational choices in joining sex work.

中文翻译：

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2000年后津巴布韦基于性工作的生计

摘要本文探讨了性工作在满足女性短期和长期需求方面作为生计机会的作用。2000年后，津巴布韦经历了一次严重的社会经济危机，最终导致世界纪录的通货膨胀率，广泛的贫困，高失业率，粮食和现金短缺。这在2008年达到高潮，该国暂停了其货币的流通，并采用了多种货币体系，其中美元作为一种交换方式而日益突出。性工作在殖民地和后殖民时期的津巴布韦历史悠久，但是2000年以后的时代需要对这种生计活动如何根据不断变化的宏观经济环境进行演变进行细致的分析。参与者的观察和对女性性工作者的无组织采访表明，他们有能力积极应对宏观经济变化。性工作者证明的代理人的特征是他们如何通过津巴布韦的危机和恶性通货膨胀进行调整。调查结果表明，性工作者的收入流入增加，尽管工作条件差，但津巴布韦对性工作的定罪和刑罚加剧了性工作者的生活。因此，本文认为性工作是一个职业领域，参与者在加入性工作中做出了合理的选择。