Fighting Out the COVID-19 Pandemic: Unravelling the Vulnerabilities of Sex Workers in Bangladesh.

This study focuses on the lived experiences and coping strategies of female floating sex workers in Dhaka, Bangladesh, during the COVID-19-induced lockdown. Using a qualitative interpretative phenomenological approach (IPA) with 17 participants interviewed twice, the research identifies significant challenges faced by this marginalized group, including severe financial crisis, food insecurity, limited access to healthcare, harassment, and exclusion from government and NGO emergency support. Coping mechanisms adopted by the sex workers involved taking loans, borrowing food, selling personal belongings, and concealing their identities to mitigate stigma and secure basic needs. The findings aim to inform policymakers and stakeholders to develop inclusive protection and welfare policies for vulnerable sex worker communities during public health crises.