Sex workers are HIV-Preventers

[Guest guest]

On the occasion of the gathering of some 10,000 commercial sex workers from

Mumbai, Thane and Pune at the Bandra-Kurla Complex in Mumbai on 10th Jan. 2007,

the Peoples Health Organisation (India) – India’s first NGO that raised

alarm against AIDS in 1985 and started HIV intervention project among sex

workers in 1991, would like to appeal people to change their perceptions towards

them.

The Sex Workers are now HIV-preventers and not the HIV-spreaders, as they were

traditionally described. PHO's globally acclaimed Project Saheli made a big

difference in the lives of the sex workers

and today they feel that they too are human-beings.

The celebrities who used to shy away from even mentioning the word Sex Workers,

leave apart attending their gatherings till early 90s, have started endorsing

the cause and are eager to be seen with them, albeit at such public occasions.

The fight against AIDS was not easy for PHO and its Saheli Project.

PHO is glad to obseve a sea of change in Hollywood star Gereâs approach

towards sex workers. On 5th April 1998, Gere had failed to push Sahelis efforts

in â ˜top-gearâ when he drove with Shabana Azmi from the Mumbaiâs infamous

redlight district ˜Falkland Road without even getting out of his car for

˜security reasons

Celebrity endorsement does influence public opinion and helps the cause to some

extent, but only a sustained campaign like the one

launched by PHO through its Saheli Project matters the most. Celebrities use

such campaigns as vctors to improve their own public image but what is important

is some conviction.

Living in monotony of sex and bearing the worst impact of AIDS, sex

workers,bravely faced the challenge and now turned-out to be saviours of

thousands of people through their safe-sex campaign and ‘No-Condom; No-sex

rule’.

They will be back to their dhandha, (work) after the gathering, but not before

giving clear message to the society that they are victims and not culprits, that

they are HIV-preventers and not HIV-spreaders, that they are truly responsible

for the HIV-control in the city and that they are hard-working partners with

funding agencies like The Gates Foundation, Family Health International (FHI),

National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), the Mumbai District AIDS Control

Society (MDACS) and Maharashtra State AIDS Control Society (MSACS).

This is the time to recognise and highlight the work done by the sex workers to

prevent AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases STDs).

Yellawwa Chalwadi who had turned to sex work through €œDevadasi

System’ (a system of concubine where girls are dedicated to goddess Yellamma

and then pushed in to sex work) joined PHO as a peer leader of sex workers in

1989 and has since completed 17 years of her undeterred stint with PHO being a

pillar in establishing ‘Saheli Project’. It is now an established fact that

the growing awareness about AIDS and other STDs among sex workers has led to a

marked decline in new infection rates in Mumbai from 2.1% in 1999 to 1.3%

- the same as it was in 1993. It is indeed a big decline. Even number of sex

workers in the city too has fallen, a consequence of the AIDS toll.

Prostitution has been a part and parcel of society down the ages. Sex Workers

are confined to cages and dirty lanes exploited by pimps, procurers and police;

are victims of one-sided laws and life-threatening diseases with HIV rate

skyrocketing to 50%, with poor access to healthcare and no virtues for their

children.

A major PHO achievement has been to provide succour to their lot by making a

globally acclaimed " Project Saheli " , to reduce the impact of

AIDS through peer-education and safer sex; and a marked reduction in new HIV

infections in city. In the process, nearly 50% of the city's estimated 100,000

(1991) sex workers were sacrificed to AIDS and 30% migrated, many along with

HIV.

Contrary to popular belief that sex workers make a lot of money, even

their survival is hand-to-mouth. It has attached to it many stigmas and taboos,

besides becoming a reservoir of STD's the most deadly being HIV/AIDS.

But they decided to interrupt this chain of ‘ping-pong’ infections and

became a vehicle of change, by using safer sex practices themselves and

propagating it to others in society.

Developments in the city red-light areas during recent times show that the sex

workers as most hapless and defenseless women and always at receiving end.

Simulated police raids on brothels come as a knee-jerk response to media

stories, followed by rescue, but neither rehabilitation nor reform.

Eventually, the rescued girls are back to sex work, sooner than later, become

further poorer entrapped in debts for paying huge sums to police and for legal

battles. Even a photo Identity card issued to them is construed as illegal and

termed a license to sex work, when 'prostitution per se is not an illegal act'

as per Indian law. Ruthless police actions and views of women activists

challenge even the survival of sex workers as citizens of India, 60 years after

independence. It is time sex workers start a second freedom struggle and should

defy 'hafta' (bribes). - Like the 'Salt Satyagriha' when people had defied

payment of 'tax on salt'.

Parallels between notions v/s reality vis-Ã -vis Sex Workers in Mumbai were

studied/analysed by PHO and we found that the number of sex workers was < 20,000

and is steadily declining; Daily clients/SW have come down to an average of 2

per day (from 5 earlier); SWs are literally starving; HIV rate among SWs in

Mumbai is stable or decreasing; despite several Rescue operations there has been

no concrete efforts for Reform; and Licensing system will be a better solution.

On the flip side it may be argued - this may possibly endanger the family

structure; if sex is freely and legally available outside the home.

PHO challenges those suggesting ban on prostitution, to start

employing sex workers at least in offices, if not at homes. Should

prostitution be legalised or should it continue the way it is today and allow

sex workers to languish, be called as disease transmitters and treated as

sub-humans? Today they are got another identity – ‘Reformers’!

Dr.I.S.Gilada, Secretary General, PHO

PS: For illustrative table on " Parallels between notions v/s reality

vis-Ã -vis Sex Workers in Mumbai " , pl. contact; which can be sent as an

attachment

DR GILADA

Peoples Health Organisation (India)

25th year of Meaningful Existance

Municipal School Building, J.J. Hospital Compd, Mumbai-400008

Tel.+91-(22)-23719020; Tele-Fax: 23864433; E-mail: ihoaids@...