The new Government is to introduce licence for sex workers

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum Members,

The following news may be of interest for you

______________________________

UPA to introduce licence for sex workers

PATNA: In a move of far reaching import, the Congress-led United Progressive

Alliance (UPA) government at the centre is planning to introduce a licence

system for sex workers across India.

The move is part of the measures aimed at bringing sex workers into the

mainstream of society by giving them legal status, said Union Minister of State

for Human Resource Development Kanti Singh.

" The government is considering a proposal to introduce a licence system for sex

workers, " the minister said.

Currently on a visit to Bihar, she said her ministry would also start

development schemes for sex workers.

Giving licences to sex workers is an old demand by NGOs and the sex workers

themselves.

There are nearly two million sex workers in India, half of who live in terrible

conditions. Giving them licences would grant them a certain status in society.

In India, prostitution is illegal and comes under the Immoral Traffic Prevention

Act 1986.

According to experts, the rise of HIV/AIDS could also be kept in check by

legalising the profession, thereby enabling a closer watch on them.

NGOs activists working with sex workers strongly feel that granting licences

would give a legal status to the profession and help it get rid of the stigma.

Legalising prostitution in India would give sex workers their due rights, not

least being the right to insist on clients using condoms and the right to

medical facilities.

There are countries, which have accorded legal sanction to prostitution not only

to bring it under the purview of rules but also to play a more proactive

part in enforcing safe sex for the benefit of both the prostitute and the client

- and, by extension, his wife and unborn kids.

Courtesy: www.kaumudi.com

______________________

Forwarded by

Anil

E-mail: <pkanilkumar@...>

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum,

Here is finally some positive motion towards rights

of sex workers,this decision in developing protocol

for licensing of sex work signals an entry of a much

awaited change.

However the antithesis of whatever is being planned

is about to be operationalised in Mumbai, where the

Mumbai police with aid from the intelligence bureau

is about to crack down on male sex workers in an so

called effort to cleanse the city.

The male sex workers umbrella encompasses a whole

range of identities based on sexulaity, gender,

vulnerability due to profession and behavior.

Also cross dressers, hijras and transgendered

individuals in sex trade will be affected in this

crackdown.

I would request the forum members to initiate a

dialogue on rights of sex workers be it male, female

or transgender and pave the way for universal rights

of sex workers.

Warm Regards,

Ernest Noronha

Project Coordinator,

Male sex workers project

Mumbai.

E-mail: <ernestnoronha@...>

[Guest guest]

Dear All

Here we see another politician giving promises, lets hope Kanti Singh live up to

her promises.

But can the licenses be given with out changing the laws?

Would licenses be also given to male and transgendered sexworkers too?

In this context I would like to add that male or transgendered sexworkers often

practice sodomy with their clients, then in order to give them licenses Kanit

Singh would have to change laws regarding sodomy too - IPC 377.

Would she be able to convince the government to do so?

and if she is only going to give licenses to female sexworkers then what will

have to some many male and transgendered sexworkers

the police will then discriminate them more and they will be harassed and

exploited more

the pimps, who would be unable to exploit the FSWs would now to try to control

the MSWs even more to earn their incomes.

Lets hope she can find solutions to these

regards

Anupam Hazra

E-mail: <anupamhazra23@...>