The Drayang Girls of Thimphu: sexual network formation, transactional sex and emerging modernities in Bhutan

Abstract

Bhutan's sustained low HIV prevalence can be attributed to its political commitment to maintain isolation from foreign cultural influence. Recently, rising HIV prevalence has coincided with the increase in human traffic along Bhutan's borders. The majority of infections, occurring primarily through sexual contact, have appeared in the urban environments that are situated along the main transport routes. This qualitative study explored the sexual networks that form at entertainment venues in the capital city of Thimphu. To more fully understand sexual network formation at theses venues, one must take into account an emerging modernity that reflects a convergence of cultural, economic and political influences emanating from Bhutan's unique 'middle-path' modernisation scheme. The growing appearance of transactional sex in Thimphu not only points to an emergent form of exploitation wrought by larger economic transformations and widening social inequalities; the power inequalities that surround its practice are also significantly exacerbated by the local cultural politics and moral ideologies that arise as Bhutan proceeds along the path towards global capitalism. Discourses of Bhutanese sexual morality articulate with broader political economic transformations to forcefully position village women engaging in transactional sex within a field of power relations that leaves them open to various forms of subjugation.

HIV Vulnerability and Sexual Risk Behaviour of the Drayang Girls in Bhutan

“…In terms of socio-demographic characteristics, the divorced and unmarried women are engaged more in transactional sex as compared to married women. The result is consistent with the findings from the qualitative study by R. Lorway(2011) where the majority of those who engaged in transactional sex was from the divorced and unmarried categories of respondents. (4) We do not know the specific reason for their engagement in transactional sex but we speculate that it may be due to their financial hardship as a single bread earner.In general, the global studies in different settings also showed that the divorced and unmarried women are more likely to face social challenges related to poverty, income and gender inequality thus exposing them to various risk including HIV and STIs.…”

“…The result is consistent with the findings from the qualitative study by R. Lorway(2011) where the majority of those who engaged in transactional sex was from the divorced and unmarried categories of respondents. (4) We do not know the specific reason for their engagement in transactional sex but we speculate that it may be due to their financial hardship as a single bread earner.In general, the global studies in different settings also showed that the divorced and unmarried women are more likely to face social challenges related to poverty, income and gender inequality thus exposing them to various risk including HIV and STIs. (20,(25)(26)(27) However, we cannot generalize these findings for other divorced women in Bhutan who are not working in Drayangs with same sexual behaviour as the study was confined to women who were working in the Drayang, and from them a small subset was divorced.…”

“…Our finding wasconsistent with findings of the qualitative study by R. Lorway (2011), SBNS (2011), FA (2015) among the Drayang and other bar girls where some of the respondents mentioned about their engagement in transactional sex. (4,5,16) Further, the BSS (2008) also found that 32.5% of 77 bars girls consisting of waitresses and singers in Thimphu and 52.0% of 25 of them in Phuentsholing had engaged in transactional sex one month prior to the survey. In both the case, the consistent condom use was 44.4% and 38.5% respectively.…”

“…This may indicate that those Drayang girls who lived in bigger cities and have to pay their own house rent are more engaged in transactional sex as compared to those staying in hostels (free accommodations provided by Drayang owners) and with others (husband, parents, and relatives)who do not have to pay the house rents and other expenses.The R. Lorway's qualitative study among the Drayang girls also cited that the financial hardship and difficulty in paying the soaring house rents in the urban cities as one of the reasons for engaging in transactional sex. (4) The other reason could be due to greater demand for sex in the entertainment sectors where alcohol was available. The study by Dunkle and Aral also revealed that economic stresses and low wages, unemployment, and poverty as some reasons for transactional sex by divorced and unmarried women.…”

“…(2) The qualitative study among Drayang girls by R. Lorway(2011) also showed a similar result. (4) The Sexual Behavioural Network Study (SBNS) 2011 further revealed a large proportion (49%) of bar patrons in Phuentsholing and Thimphu had engaged in multiple sexual relationships in 12 months prior to the survey with an average of 2.5 partners. The study also confirmed risky sexual behaviour as a result of alcohol consumption in the entertainment venues.…”