Telling the Story of Marginalized Women

Research on street-level prostitution tends to focus on statistics and demographics but provides little insight into prostitutes as women. UNL family scientist Rochelle Dalla decided to tell the stories of marginalized women in Nebraska and around the world through her research. For the past two summers, she has interviewed brothel workers in Mumbai, India, to better understand their lives and the sex trafficking trade, particularly the cycle that leads children of brothel workers into the sex trade. “I wanted to give these marginalized women a voice,” she said. She’s analyzing the interviews and hopes her research informs efforts to help women in the sex trade. Dalla, a member of UNL’s Human Trafficking team, also has studied prostitution in Omaha, Neb., and published her findings in the 2006 book, Exposing the “Pretty Woman” Myth.

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