Rehabilitation of a Sex worker

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum members,

I on behalf of my organization would like to welcome

all the participants from different states and

country.

I am here to present one of the successful

case study of the rehabilitation of SEX WORKER of

Dahod district of Gujarat. The main population of

district is Tribal and has a different culture where

dowry practices, free sex culture and the exploitation

of women is a part of the culture. The practices of

dowry is almost opposite from the other section of

society. Dowry is accepted from the girl’s father as

charges for taking care of her daughter since birth to

the time of marriage.

CASE-PRESENTATION OF TRIBAL PSH OF DAHOD DISTRICT

NAME: Ms. Manguben. Mathursingh. Bhabor(Not real name)

AGE: 32 years

EDUCATION LEVEL: 3rd standard

CASTE: Tribal of Dahod district.

MARITAL STATUS: Divorced since 8 years.

DURATION OF PROFESSION: Since 10 years.

REASON FOR SEXUAL PROFESSION: The father of Manguben

demanded dowry of Rs. 14,000/- from her husband for

marriage with her daughter. So half of the amount was

given at the time of marriage and rest was to be paid

later on. So her husband had borrowed money from

moneylender at a very high interest rate.

In order to recover the same amount to moneylender and

to pay the left amount, she was forced to have sex

with one of her husband’s friend. She was also forced

to go for labour work in rural areas. Even she was

forced to have sex if any of the person provided

alcohol to her husband.

When she protest against her husband, she was told

that to satisfy my sexual needs from you, I had

borrowed money from moneylender and also your father

is demanding the left amount. So you can be helpful to

me in earning the left amounts.

PRE-STAGE IN SEXUAL ACTIVITIES

As a result of intolerance she had left her husband

house and went to her father’s house. So she started

working in Construction sites of Dahod urban areas

where she came in contact with Contractors, Mason and

Carpenters.

Initially she was offered work at various sites and

then she was proposed for sex from contractors and

mason in exchange of Rs. 30/- to Rs. 40/-. She tried

to resist these, but could not save herself from

entering the sexual profession. She was provided

labour work where she got special treatment and only

she satisfied contractors and mason. Also when the

auto drivers who provided her transportation facility

from her village to urban area took a chance to

satisfy their sexual needs. They just provided free

services and never took an auto fare from Manguben.

HER ATTITUDES TOWARDS SEXUAL PROFESSION: She believes

that whatever the sexual relations were enjoyed

earlier before marriage, it is just a mode of

practices so that the partners could not blame her for

ineffective participation in sex at first night.

She believes that it is the easiest profession and one

can earn by her look. It is the responsible of an

individual to earn money for one self and without

being dependent on others.

MEETING WITH OUR ORGANIZATION: I contacted her during

Need Assessment phase as our organization had got

information from one of her client. So when the

approach was made for the first time she had spoken

many bad words to me. She told her client that “Tu to

maro Dhanni che aane tu mara maate garak lave che”(you

are my husband and you are bringing clients for me).

“Chaal mare sathein police station ”Come with me to

police station and I will handle you to police. So she

tried to make her impression as she is very dangerous

and she could do harm to all of us if we try to

interact with her on any of the issue relating her

profession. But after when I provided her free

treatment for STD, I was able to succeed her after

three meeting with her. At present she is in our

contact and is associated with us as our PEER EDUCATOR

and is trying herself to reduce her partner as she has

very well learned about STD/HIV/AIDS from our team

members.

PRESENT STATUS: Presently status of Manguben is very

improving and she is very much interested to make

herself safe from all the disease. She regularly

introduces us to the unidentified Sex Workers from our

area and also educates her peer groups.

We had made an attempt to divert her from this

profession.

As a successful approach, we had explained

her to buy some vegetables from the wholesale market

and sell in the retail market. Our objectives was to

keep herself engaged in selling vegetables for the

whole day and by this she could adopt a new business

which could fetch the same amount for her.

We had also provide her with our new innovative

project of Drip Irrigation by which she could grow

vegetable even in small piece of land of just 500

square meter area, and earn more profit form

production to selling. At present she is able to earn

monthly income of Rs. 2800/- to Rs. 3400/- from the

drip project.

Regarding her sexual partners at present she is in

contact with two partners as she consider them as her

right and left hand of her body. But she is very

cautious for STD and use condom for safer sexual

practices. Today we are dealing with her and providing

counseling services as a result we are successful in

reducing her partner.

Mahesh vara

E-mail: <vardanaids@...>

________________________