Meeting on “Engaging with Sex Worker Rights” held

Hyderabad: Sangram, a voluntary organisation, conducted Hyderabad District Level Advocacy meeting on “Engaging with Sex Worker Rights” a sensitisation meeting under the leadership of Hyderabad District Legal Service Authoriy Judge Dr Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy at Central Park on recently.

The CBOs Darpan Foundation and Asthithwam who works for the men having sex with men sex workers and transgender sex workers have facilitated this meeting. Judge Dr Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy explained about the importance of the judgment Buddhdev Karmaskar Vs State of West Bengal and the Supreme Court of India committee recommendations to the Government of India for the welfare and security of the persons in the sex work.

She explained that Sex workers are adult women, trans and men who provide sexual services for money or kind. However, their work continues to be stigmatised, conflated with trafficking and considered immoral. This stigma has led to the problematic conditions faced by sex workers including being arrested or forcibly rescued and incarcerated in rescue homes, outcast by families, face violence by law enforcement agencies.

It would be fruitful to reinforce the need to strengthen the rights of sex workers through ensuring their access to justice, social and legal entitlements, protecting their right to timely assistance in the event of Rachana Mudraboyina, Transgender Hijra sex workers rights activist explained about the journey of sex workers movement in Telangana and with that of the LGBTQI Trans movement how they strived to get the sex work to a profession status all these years.

Kartik, Founder of Darpan Foundation, Paruchuri & Vishnu Teja Founding members of Asthitwam foundation has explained about the problems of male sex workers in the state of Telangana, Swapna, from Apollo Foundation explained about the problems of people living with HIV who are into the profession of sex work. Monalisa, Founder of Telangana Transgender Peoples Association, explained how hijra community is still facing issues with the police and goons when there are in sex work. Vasavi Telugu, Founding member of Vasavi Kinnar Welfare Society explained that there are also various services like transgender welfare card, health services, marriage and other social entitlements which are not available for the community. Chinni Krishna, Transgender rights activist explained how in the initial stages of HIV intervention they use to do the advocacy activities. Srinivas from Sahas project explained that we need to understand the modus operandi of the supreme court of India judgement on sex work and need to propagate as much as possible to prevent the problems or cirses faced by the persons in sex work.

Avanthika Thangella , founder of Prema Jyothi Foundation explained that she has learned a lot during her mentorship with National Network of Sex Workers and also Sangram from a sex worker to be the founder of an organisation which she leads and works for the other livelihood trainings of the persons who are into sex work. More than 70 transgender hijra MSM persons were present in the meeting and also more than 20 law students attended the meeting to explain the importance of constitution, fundamental rights and duties of all the Indian citizens including the persons who are into sex work. Many of the participants expressed that this district advocacy consultation may hopefully bring dynamic leadership and support of the lawyers, police and community leaders to build a peaceful society without disturbing the basic rights of sex workers.