Sex-workers are going to the Parliament!

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends,

We, the Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee (DMSC) is a sex workers organization

in West Bengal have been involved in an internationally acclaimed HIV programme

- SHIP (STD/HIV Intervention Programme) since 1995, widely known as the

Sonagachi Project. We have been continuously mobilizing sex workers in the

districts of West Bengal to replicate the Sonagachi model in other brothel

settings. Presently we are running 49 clinics altogether in 3 brothels and 2

street based settings.

DMSC is a forum, set up exclusively and managed by sex workers and their

children which represents more than 65000 community members with 66 branches

spread all over West Bengal. Durbar from its very inception has been actively

involved in addressing and extenuating different structural issues that limit

sex workers entitlement. We have formed Usha Multipurpose Co-operative Society

Limited to ensure economic security of our community members, Komal Gandhar for

our cultural expression and Self Regulatory Board to reinforce our anti

trafficking programme. We also have established CL-CAB, a training center that

aims to offer different capacity building trainings on multiple aspects of

Sexual Health Intervention Programme. We widened our horizons by spreading our

activities among the other marginalized communities like the 'Shabar' tribes,

fisher-men community, street vendors and other.

On 3rd March, 2006 to celebrate the International Sex Workers Day we along with

National Network of Sex Workers (NNSW) are marching towards Parliament to place

our demand for protection of human rights of sex workers. In coming days, we

hope this march will further reinforce our efforts to ensure enabling

environment for the community; imperative for quality intervention programme. It

is in this context we appeal to all the organizations working with sex workers

to send at least 2 or maximum 6 representatives at New Delhi from where the

rally will start. We earnestly look forward to your co-operation to make the

March a grand success.

We will take full care of Lodging & Fooding of the participants from

respective organizations.

Your involvement will leave a lifelong impression on humanity and helping us to

our cause for social justice.

We hope to get a positive and early response from you.

Let us save our country from the AIDS pandemic!

In solidarity,

Gouri Roy,

Secretary,

Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee (DMSC),

12/5 Nilmoni Mitra Street,

Kolkata-700006, West Bengal.

Ph: 033-25306619/3148;

Fax: 03325437777.

E-mail: sonagachi@...

Website: www.durbar.org