Representational image.

More than 65% of women, who were engaged in sex work and entertainment industry before the Covid-19 pandemic, would like to return to their professions in the absence of any livelihood opportunities, according to a survey.

The survey was conducted by National Alliance Group for Denotified, Semi-Nomadic and Nomadic tribes and PRAXIS.

Stigma and marginalisation in society in seeking any other job opportunities also remained another driving factor behind this decision, the survey revealed.

The survey sample size was 224 women who belonged to the age group of between 18 to above 55 years.

Their occupations based on their caste identities also meant they refrained from accessing government rations in a number of cases, the survey mentioned.

A higher percentage of those who wanted to opt out of sex work and the entertainment industry belonged to the age group of 36-55 years.

The survey was conducted among respondents hailing from seven districts of the three states of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan between June 1 and June 15.

Literacy level among the interviewees belonging to the denotified and nomadic tribes remained low with 30 per cent of the respondents never having attended school, 33 per cent dropping out before or in class 5, while 35 per cent had dropped out between classes 6-10.