Bangladesh is one of the few Muslim countries where
prostitution is legal. The Kandapara brothel in the district of
Tangail is the oldest and one of the largest in the country - it
has existed for some 200 years. Here live and work more than
700 sex workers with their children and their madams. The
brothel district is surrounded by a two-meter wall. In the narrow
streets, there are food stalls, tea shops and street vendors.
Many of the women were born in the brothel, are sold by family
members or have fled their husbands and secure in this way
their livelihood. Officially, they must be 18 years old, but most
of them are underage. Although prostitution is legal in
Bangladesh since 2000, these women are socially stigmatized
outside their "homes" and thus often choose to stay and
continue supporting their families with their earnings.
Sandra Hoyn (b. 1976) is an independent photojournalist based in Hamburg, Germany. She studied photography at the University of Applied Sciences Hamburg, graduating in 2005. She started working for magazines, NGOs and on her personal photo projects, focusing on social, environmental and human rights issues.
Awards 2017 she received the first prize of the Sony World Photography Awards in category daily life and POYi – Pictures of the Year International third place category portrait. In 2016 she received the Magnum Photography Award in category photojournalism, 2015 World Press Photo Award third prize, category nature singles.
