Author under fire for comparing women in traditional marriages to prostitutes

Washington: An author based in Australia has come under fire for saying that women in traditional marriages could be considered prostitutes.

On Australian panel show QandA, author Jane Caro said that she believed a historical society where the main currency of women within a marriage was sexual favours and the ability to reproduce, was a form of prostitution, Mashable reported.

She said that she would argue traditional marriage, which included conjugal rights, particularly when women were not able to go to work, or were fired when they first got married, and were selling their bodies and their reproductive rights to their husband - he bought them, by giving her room and board in return - was a form of prostitution.

Users on Twitter criticized the author saying that people like her are a step backward for feminism, as it is about empowerment and choice.

Caro later defended statement by saying that she stands by her analogy, particularly when there was no such thing as rape in marriage and women are really trapped economically and legally in marriage, and they had no control over their body.