Data Base

Sex Work and Retirement (2)

(By Tiffany)

Apart from work, retirement planning always occupies the mind of many people. Once there is spare cash, people will think about investment and savings, hoping for a secure retirement even without government's assistance.

Many people have a prejudice against sex workers, thinking that they are lazy and are unwilling to look for a "decent" job, and that is why they use the "simplest" and quickest way to make easy money, by lying on the bed and spreading their legs.

The cost of living in Hong Kong is known to be high. For a lot of people, even dealing with daily living expenses is not easy, not to mention saving for retirement. Unlike other workers, sex workers do not participate in the MPF (Mandatory Provident Fund) scheme. They rely on the money they earn from sex work to meet their daily needs and also to prepare for retirement. Appearance is important for sex work, but that usually cannot stand the test of time. Their retirement age of sex workers is usually earlier than that of other sectors. Fellow sisters therefore need to plan ahead.

It has become extremely difficult to buy a property in Hong Kong today. I once heard a fellow sister talk confidently about her retirement plan. She has been engaged in sex work for more than ten years. With the money she made from the sex industry, she managed to raise her daughter by herself and buy two properties in her hometown in Mainland China. She mentioned that later when she becomes old and the business turns bad, she will have no choice but to accept the reality and retire. And when her daughter has got married, she could then go back to the hometown and enjoy her retirement life.

Retirement is the beginning of the second half of life, and everyone needs to prepare for it.