By Amanda Mlekush
With funding provided by App State’s Office of International Programs (OIP), Sunny Sinha, PhD, from the Department of Social Work travelled to India this summer to conduct research, present a lecture based on her recent book and to begin making connections to plan a faculty-led study abroad trip for App State students and create an graduate course in Social Work related to global perspectives. (Images show Sinha during her trip to India, including the lecture; photos provided).
Sinha presented a public lecture at Pondicherry University about key issues women involved in sex work face, which are highlighted in her recent book, Risk, Stigma, Agency: Life Histories of Women Involved in Sex Work in Kolkata, India.
Sinha said she was able to make numerous connections with academics, practitioners, and community leaders during her visit, and plans to build an elective graduate class at App State entitled “Global Perspective in Social Work Practice” that would be offered in summer 2027. She is also creating a study abroad program to India for university students.
“My initial interest in sharing the stories of women involved in sex work began while managing a government-sponsored HIV prevention program in Kolkata,” said Sinha. “At first, I approached the project with a ‘rescue and rehabilitate’ mindset, focusing on offering alternative employment options to the women. However, as I interacted with these incredible women, I became aware of the insidious, often invisible, ways control is exercised over women’s sexuality, primarily through societal norms.”
For students who participate in the study abroad trip being developed, Sinha said they will experience the culture of these two geographically distant cities and how they are are shaped by distinctive cultural roots as a former English colony (Mumbai) and former French colony (Pondicherry).
“The students will be able to examine the enduring impacts of colonization on social structures, cultural identity, and even the architecture,” Sinha said, adding that in Pondicherry, the French Quarter has streets named Rue Dumas and Rue Suffren as a reminder of the French influence while Mumbai features a fusion of British and Indian architectural styles.
“From my research, I've learned that all women are at risk of being socially perceived as 'bad women’ if they cross the societal lines,” she said. “The stigma associated with sex work threatens women's safety and human rights. It's essential to recognize that sex workers are women first, and are capable of making their own decisions. By advocating for their rights to health and safety, I am, in essence, fighting for a larger cause—the fundamental right of all women, including those in sex work, to live freely, safely, and with dignity.
“I believe we can contribute to a future where all women can claim their rights, free from societal labels, and honestly pursue the concept of sisterhood in its most meaningful sense,” she said.
Group of six people standing together in a classroom
Dr. Sunny Sinha (far left) pictured during her trip to India