Introducing Garima Rathore

There is a new face at our Footsteps shop and cafe in Cheltenham, Garima has just moved to the UK from India and has already got involved as a volunteer with our charity. I caught up with her via Facebook:

15:59

Hi Garima, welcome to Global Footsteps!

Hello

You have been volunteering in our Footsteps shop in Cheltenham for about 2 weeks now is that right?

Yes, now i am more confident about working there.

How are you enjoying life in Cheltenham so far?

It's goin very fine.. I'm enjoying in volunteer centre

You're originally from India, but which part exactly?

Yes.. Delhi region

Are there any similarities between Gloucestershire and Delhi that you have noticed?

By this time i didn't found yet, but this is very nice place, I love it!

What's your favourite place in Cheltenham? (You don't have to say the Footsteps shop!)

Eating places .. I like most is Gianni's and Nandos and Sudeley castle, but I have visited very few places so far.

I'm sure you will discover more and more as time goes by, where else in the UK or Europe would you like to visit?

all over but, priority is UK

I recommend a visit to Wales, but I am from there, so am biased!

okay accepted.....I would like to go there.... we are planning to Cardiff for a weekend in February.

Great!

Tell me a little bit about the things that interest you.... have you been involved in any work to help others or the environment before?

Yes, in India.. I gave tuition to the students... to help them in their studies, it was like evening classes... for 2 hrs

Like a homework club?

yes..

What do students in India enjoy studying?

Lots, but the reason for those classes was that they belonged to very poor families.. and we provided them with help

with their problems in studies.

I see, it sounds similar to the work our link project in Bangladesh is doing.

What other activities would you like to get involved in while you are in Cheltenham?

Nothing much yet... I'm searching a part time job too... to make myself busy.

Well I wish you good luck with that search, I hope you find some enjoyable and meaningful work!

Thank-you very much for volunteering with us, I hope you continue to enjoy it.

Yes... I love that place too!

Thanks for chatting, see you in the shop soon!

An interview with Sule Tomkinson - Sex Work and Feminism explored

I've just been catching up with Sule Tomkinson. Sule represented Trabzon (Turkey) at our international conference, Footstep 11, in Jamaica. She is at the beginning of a very interesting sounding PhD.

12:28

Hi Sule, Morgan here from Global Footsteps.

Can I do a quick interview with you via Facebook for our blog?

sure

Great thanks.

I want, first to ask you how you are, where you are living now and what you are up to?

I am very good, living in Montreal, and doing a PhD in political science in Montreal University.

I am working on trafficked women in two provinces of Canada and the institutions that claim ownership on the bodies of these women.

That sounds like a difficult subject to study, it must effect you emotionally?

Probably it will, but I do not believe there is one single "truth" on human trafficking like the media presents to us, women and children sold for sex, living under slave like conditions...

I do not claim there are not trafficked people living under those conditions, BUT not everyone.

Some women use trafficking as a mobility strategy where legal immigration possibilities are limited or simply non-existant

just to be clear, you are saying that: 'you do not claim that there are NOT trafficked people'?

No definitely not

There definitely are trafficked people

who are forced to live and work under slave like conditions

but we simply do not know how many.

All the statistics and estimates of international institutions do not make sense, they are simply 'created' somehow, and we do not know how reliable they are.

Are you suggesting that some women come into Canada disguised as illegal sex workers to then later be able to seek asylum?

I am not saying disguised as this or that. However, sex industry is the one they can find jobs most easily and there is economic motivation there.

What I am saying is, all these women are not necessarily lured, uneducated and deceived women like we see continuoulsy in the media.

They are not victims, they have agency

OK, I understand, to say that all sex workers are doing it against their will is too simplistic, many are there for the money and are fully aware of what they are doing.

Yes.

And are you trying to gather evidence of this?

That is my ontological position right, I will see what evidence I get. I will also do research on police reports, shelters, rehabilitation centers, simply the institutions that are in contact with these women.

Can you just explain ontological for me?!

Sure, ontology is about social reality, how you perceive it. i.e. Radical feminists believe sex work is inherently exploitative and it is violence against women.

And I do not believe that.

Have you got into many debates with feminists over this?

There are two main approaches in the literature

and I am a feminist as well

there are many women in sex industry who perceive themselves as feminists

And yes, just saturday I went to see a movie by an abolitionist feminist director -abolitionists believe prostitution should be abolished and men who buy sex should be prosecuted- called 'The Biggest Lie".

She made the movie for youth to show the dangers of prostitution.

What did you think of the movie?

It was good, in terms of raising awareness for the young girls and the dangers they can experience, but again the statistics in the movie, ex-sex workers who were interviewed in the movie spoke with just one voice.

Even one social worker claimed 'feminists are against it'

do you my point? You cannot speak for everyone,

Feminism is a very complex subject, there is far more to it that meets the eye. I studied a little bit around eco-feminism a while ago, I would like to re-visit it. Would you say there are many sub categories to feminism?

Yes definitely. And all speak with a different voice.

Well, we'd better wrap up, maybe we can chat again in more detail about feminism another time as I know a lot of Global Footsteps members are interested in this subject.

Sure that will be good

Thanks Sule, I wish you well with your studies, I'm sure you will produce something very worthwhile. Do you have any messages for any friends you met via Global Footsteps?

Thanks a lot! I wish them all the best in whatever they are doing and keep up the good work.