Demanding right to dignified life, about 4000 sex workers, transgender and sexual minorities staged a protest march in the capital last week on the occasion of International Women's Day.
Representatives from 16 states, including Kolkata-based Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee, Kerela Sex Workers Forum, Tirupati-based Women's Initiative, Savera Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, Parcham from Bihar and Maharashtra-based Vaishya Aids Muqabla Parishad, came together under the aegis of National Network of Sex Workers (NNSW) for the march.
The march commenced at the Bharat Scouts and Guides camp, located on a historical site, weaving through the Ram Lila ground and commenced at Jantar Mantar.
National Aids Control Organisation (NACO) director Sujatha Rao unflured the NNSW flag and kicked off the event.
''With the community of women taking control over their life, I see this massive celebration as a positive sign,'' she said.
Assuring the representatives of complete assistance and support from NACO, Rao said that the contribution of the community in HIV/AIDS eradication will not be ignored.
''You all are integral and important part of the national campaign against HIV/AIDS and there is no way in which your concerns and experiences can get overlooked.''
NNSW has been strongly opposing the proposed amendment in the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Amendment Bill 2005 and demanding that the government consult all stakeholders as it adversely impacted lives of scores of transgender, sexual minorities and sex workers in the country.
The proposed amendment in the bill seeks criminalisation of clients who go to brothels, increased penalties for brothel keeping and lowering rank of police officials who raid the brothels.
It said that the concerns of all the stakeholders from across the country were ''ignored'' in the amendment process last year.
Programme convenor Swapna Gayen said that the 'public event' was held to protest against the ITPA Bill and to draw the attention towards the problems of sex workers and sexual minorities.
''The event highlights the innovative work we are doing in preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS. We are like any other citizen of India and we also have a right to live a dignified life...,'' said Gayen.
Seeking recognition of their work in HIV/AIDS programmes, National Aids Council member Smarjit Jana said that as a community, sex workers have to fight for their rights as workers.
''As a section of the society our needs have to be fully recognised and guaranteed,'' he added.
Demanding that the ITPA Bill reflect their concerns, Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee member Mala Singh said that the proposed amendments will do more harm than good for the community.
''By penalising a client, our livelihood will be destroyed and we will only end up doing our work on the sly, neglect our health and this will result in HIV/AIDS spreading even further,'' Mala said.
''If we go underground prevention of HIV/AIDS is not possible...We are aware about the consequences and over the past 15 years we have been contributing in effective prevention of the disease by practising safe sex,'' she added.
Expressing similar views, Jana said that the proposed amendment will have a negative impact on the National Prevention Programme on HIV/AIDS and also prove ineffective in checking trafficking.
''By adopting a rights-based approach and empowering sex workers to exert their own agency, many legal, social and structural barriers can be overcome,'' he added.
Kerala Sex Workers Forum member Nalini Jamila said that the government was confusing consensual sex with trafficking.
''We are not against laws to check trafficking but the government's sole focus has been on pulling people out of sex work, while ignoring the very factor that pushes individuals and communities in the business,'' she added.
Calling on the government to review its anti-prostitution policy, she said that sex work must be recognised like any other ''work'' and the community must be included as an ally in the anti-trafficking efforts.
Karnataka Samara, a community organisation of sexual minorities', member Chandra Kumar said that the sexual minorities faced double oppression from the society as well as the police.
''We have another set of problems... We not only experience the problems faced by women sex workers due to the ITPA Act, but being a sexual minority, the Section 377 of the IPC gives the law enforcers the liberty to constantly hound and harass us,'' he added.
Speaking on behalf of transgenders, the most marginalised among these minorities, Ashodaya Mahila Samanwaya Committee member Girija, said 'Hijras' faced the worst oppression.
''We are criminalised by both the laws - ITPA and Section 377 IPC. Also since our gender has no legal recognition we do not have an identity,'' she added.
''We are in this profession not just out of choice but by default... We can only do this work or beg. If this amendment comes into force, our only option is death... The government might have good intentions but they are misplaced,'' she added.
Modified: 31.03.2006 21:10:26
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