Database of organizationsworking in the field of HIV/AIDS and sex work

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends,

This is to introduce CASAM, the Centre for Advocacy on Stigma and

Marginalisation, which is a project of SANGRAM, Sangli. SANGRAM (Sampada Grameen

Mahila Sanstha) and VAMP (Veshya Anyay Mukti Parishad) the collective of women

in prostitution and sex work are grass roots organisations working in the field

of HIV/AIDS in South Maharashtra and North Karnataka.

SANGRAM reaches sex workers and married women, clients, husbands and lovers,

teenagers and truck drivers, migrants and men who have

sex with men, orphans and widows, panchayat heads and policemen.

One of the major lessons learnt by SANGRAM in its 15 years of work at the

grassroots, is that gender inequalities, stigma, discrimination and lack of

treatment access for persons and care of PLHA is fuelling the pandemic in India.

CASAM will endeavour to connect the lessons learnt from the grassroots work of

SANGRAM to policy advocacy at both the national and international level.

Initially, the centre aims at creating a database of all organizations

working in the field of HIV/AIDS and sex work. Please take a few minutes and

answer the following questions to help us in this effort.

1. Does your organization work with sex workers and HIV/AIDS?

2. Do you follow a peer education model?

3. Do you have a CBO (community based organization)? If yes, please give

details.

4. Do you belong to any network of organizations working on similar issues?

If yes kindly send us their contact details.

It would be highly appreciated if you could send us this information at the

earliest.

In solidarity,

Sutapa

SANGRAM/CASAM

Meena Seshu

e-mail: <sangram.vamp@...>