The writer Claudia Piñeiro, finalist of the International Booker Prize 2022, links luxury prostitution with Argentine political power in her new novel ‘La muerte ajena’ (Alfaguara). In this sense, she has pointed out that nowadays many young women «enter» into sex work due to a lack of future, with the possibility of making money «quickly.»
«Power has used, throughout Argentina’s history, the bodies of women. And in the 21st century, many girls enter sex work due to a lack of future. Not necessarily like in other times, where prostitution was associated with a lower class that needed to work as a prostitute because they couldn’t afford to eat—there is also that. But in this century, many middle-class girls are joining to pay for their studies or for something else they can’t access. They find a quick way to make money,» Piñeiro explained in an interview with Europa Press.
She believes that this view of sex work was «exacerbated» after the Covid-19 pandemic, when men started focusing on cryptocurrencies and online gambling, while women focused on things «related» to this work through platforms like OnlyFans.
«It has to do with a lack of a plan and hope about what the future holds for you. You study a career, you graduate, and when can you access a home, move out of your parents’ house? And this generates quick income that makes you say, ‘well, I’ll do it for a while and then I’ll move on to something else.’ It’s also something new in this century, this way of relating to sex work,» she pointed out.
The appearance of ‘incels’—an acronym for ‘involuntary celibates,’ used to refer to men who are part of an online community that, for reasons beyond their control, cannot have sexual relationships—whose figure appears in ‘La muerte ajena,’ combined with the «questioning» of feminist rights advancements, is causing a «regression,» although the Argentine author has assured that we will not go back to «square one.»
«There is a regression, countries where they are starting to question. For example, in my country, we passed the abortion law two years ago and every so often voices appear saying they want to review it, which I hope they cannot do. But in the meantime, the government is dismantling programs where access to the necessary medication is available, so the law remains, but sometimes it cannot be accessed,» she explained.
MILEI’S NATALITY POLICIES, «HYPOCRITICAL»
At this point, Piñeiro has criticized the «hypocrisy» of the Argentine president, Javier Milei, who advocates for natality policies, asking women to have «more children» when he doesn’t have any.
«Meanwhile, neither the president nor anyone close to the president of my country has children. It’s absurd, it’s as if we were stupid and they can tell us that, and one says, ‘Oh, yes. You’re right.’ It’s all very hypocritical, and at the same time, anything that limits women’s rights is a regression. If a woman decides she doesn’t want to work and wants to stay at home taking care of her children, it’s her right, but not an imposition on all women,» she pointed out.
Although she acknowledges that it is a controversial debate, the author defends that after interviewing sex workers—called «accompaniment girls» and arguing that they do not «necessarily» have to have sex—she advocates for the «right of choice» of the woman who decides to do it.
«Until I have certainty in the answer, I will defend that if a woman wants to do sex work, she should, and in that case, I believe they need all the necessary protections. A health plan, medical care, protection so that they are not harmed, so they do not have problems, right? Until someone convinces me otherwise, I will continue to be on that side, but I know it’s an open discussion,» she acknowledged.
However, the thriller that is ‘La muerte ajena’ moves away from the «sensationalism» that a topic like prostitution can provoke, Piñeiro explains, because the author addresses the «power relationship» exerted over the female body and how it manages «women,» but without explicit «sexual» scenes. «The sexual part didn’t need to be written precisely to avoid that,» she added.
The author of ‘Las viudas de los jueves,’ ‘Tuya,’ ‘Elena sabe,’ or ‘Las grietas de Jara,’ explained that with this new novel, which hits bookstores this Thursday, May 29, she has debuted with a «reliable narrator,» allowing her to explore new ways of writing, although she has assured that it is more difficult «not to get lost» while writing or reading.
Although she wishes for the reader to be entertained, she pointed out that her goal with ‘La muerte ajena’ is that when a person finishes the novel, they wonder «what they think about prostitution.»