Sex for Life: Conditions that Necessitated Sexual Barter in the Holocaust
Sex for Life: Conditions that Necessitated Sexual Barter in the Holocaust

Author(s): Angela Ford
Subject(s): History, Gender Studies, Gender history, History of the Holocaust
Published by: Institut za filozofiju i društvenu teoriju
Keywords: Holocaust; Sexual barter; Stigma; Survival
Summary/Abstract: Politics, religion, sex. Some topics are so difficult to discuss that they have been relegated to the category of taboo. One problem with taboo subjects is they are often used by perpetrators to simultaneously abuse and silence victims. Perpetrators count on society to, at best, frown at their mention and, at worst, revictimize those who dare to speak out. Two major topics that are notoriously difficult to discuss are the Holocaust and sexual abuse. What happens when they are combined and a third component – sexual economy – is introduced? To many, this inclusion justifies the opinion that since the sex was voluntary, the “victim” was complicit and is the one to blame for any harm incurred.

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