Seminar on “Sex Workers Issues and Perspectives”

[Guest guest]

A day long seminar on “Sex Workers Issues and Perspectives” was organized

jointly by Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee (DMSC), Kolkata and SNDT Women’s

University at Committee Room of SNDT Women’s University, Churchgate, Mumbai on

17th October 2008.

The seminar was inaugurated by the Vice Chancellor of SNDT Women’s University.

In her introductory note she made it clear that, it is profession and women

engaged in this profession should follow the footsteps of DMSC to get

collectivize and raise their voice to protect their rights.

Ms. Chitkala Zutsi, Additional Chief Secretary – Home Dept., Maharashtra; Ms

Indrani Malkani, renowned social activist; Ms Smita Jaykar, from film industry;

Ms Ketki Jaykar, a renowned lawyer; Dr. Smarajit Jana –National Program Officer

(TI), National AIDS Control Organization; Prof. Chandra Krishnamurthy, Vice

Chancellor, SNDT Women’s University and law enforcing personnel from Mumbai city

attended and expressed their views on the said issue.

Ms. Indrani Malkani, in her introductory speech hails the sex workers collective

of Sonagachi and advised them to disseminate their experiences and achievement

outside this four walls of this conference room and to influence and motivate

others including women in different under paid occupations in addition to sex

workers. She also suggested DMSC to take the lead and to provide supports in

other states in India to help sex workers to build their organization and to

fight for their rights.

Ms. Smita Jaykar – a renowned personality from film industry. In her

deliberation expressed her confidence in sex workers collective and their

movement. She also suggested women in sex work to take lead to improve their

quality of life through collective bargaining as well as improving spiritual

health. She strongly advocates the policy of rights to self determination as a

key element for empowerment.

Dr. Jana cited the pros and cons of trafficking in persons and strongly opined

trafficking as a development issue linked to migration, lack of political will

to enforce minimum labor standard in unorganized sector is the underlying

reasons fuelling migration in developing countries. ITPA is not sufficient to

combat trafficking in person; he also added that trafficking in other sector

can’t be addressed through ITPA.

Mrs. Chitkala Zutsi, while sharing experiences of sex workers, candidly

expressed her view that, women in sex work need to be treated with dignity and

respect. They should be treated properly and be protected from being harassed as

she considered it as an occupation. She also said that rehabilitation is a far

fetched issue and much more complicated than considered. There is no clarity or

appropriate system even for the rescued minor girls looking from the viewpoint

of her long term career building process. She felt that police should be

oriented properly so that they can deal with women in sex work with respect and

dignity in addition to protect their citizenship rights.

Over 100 invitees from different sectors of civil societies actively

participated in the meeting in addition to 30 sex workers coming from

Kamatipuram and DMSC.

Ms. Asha Banerjee

Secretary

Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee

PROTIM RAY

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