Social security of sex workers in India

 Social Security of Sex Workers in India 

(By Rounakshi Dey ) 

Image By:- Sandeep

Sex Workers!! The moment we hear this word, we cover our ears. We are frowned upon by our elders when they hear us speaking about them. They say that we did not have a proper upbringing hence we are using such dirty words. We are given stare in public if we use this word. This is the amount of taboo attached to this word. If the word itself has this amount of stigma, imagine the life of sex workers!! We cannot even think of the disrespect, humiliation and isolation the sex workers go through. They are even denied a place in the society. Their entire life is confined to brothels. They are not accepted in public places if they are recognized. We have pushed them across the barriers of the society. They don't have social recognition or security. They are deemed as commodities to be used. Yes, they do sell their bodies for survival. But are they really willing to do so? Will they not start afresh if given an opportunity? No one even thinks of these questions. These ill-fated people are never allowed to be included in the society. They survive and die in loneliness.  We have murdered innocent dreams and created sex workers out of them against their will. We have forced them to sell their bodies and struggle for survival. We have denied them the basic human rights. Yes, we are the oppressors of sex workers. We, the respectable people of the society.

The journey…

Sex trade began ages ago in our country. It is said to be one of the oldest profession of mankind. We had Devdasis, or servants of God residing in temples their entire life away from the outside world. The priests exploited these young girls sexually. No one raised a voice, since the priests, the Brahmans enjoyed the highest social status. The Devdasis marked the beginning. It soon marked its entry in the courts of Emperors and Kings. The Kothis had Baijis, who offered their services to the high officials in exchange for money. Years rolled by and this trade flourished in leaps and bounds. Soon modern-day red light areas were formed. Brothels found in red light areas offer shelter to sex workers. Sex workers are not there, out of choice, but by compulsion. The society won’t accept them back. They were either sold off by their family members to pimps in exchange for money or lured to cities for jobs and then betrayed and sold off. No one becomes a part of this trade by choice. Some ill-fated ones are born in brothels and are forced by tradition to become sex workers as society does not have a place for them.

Injustices meted out to sex workers:

Speaking of injustices the list is endless.

• They are denied the basic fundamental rights of our country. Hardly are they acknowledged as Indians. They are the loneliest persons on social ladder having no support system to fall back upon. Even their own family has cut down their ties with them. Society does not accept them. They have no one apart from other fellow sex workers whom they can consider a family.

• Sex workers have very poor health condition. They live in dingy and unhygienic brothels. They catch sexually transmitted diseases because of lack of use of protection due to customers’ whims. They are denied access to hospitals and clinics in public. Their health suffers. Most of them die without getting proper medical facility.

• Have you heard a sex worker fighting a case in court? No, never. How can a sex worker make her way to the court? She is nothing but a criminal in the eyes of the society. Sex workers are brutally tortured and exploited, yet, they do not have the right to fight for their justice. They are not even aware of the procedure of filling a police complain and fighting their case in court. Their incomes are not enough to support a lawyer. They suffer injustices in silence.

• They are not given right to education. The children born to sex workers are denied admission in institutions if the identity of the mother is known. They are deemed as bad influences for others. They are seen as untouchables and separated from the society.

• Sex workers are victims of human trafficking. They are sold off against their wish. Their children are sold off and exploited in front of their eyes. They do not have a voice to protest. They silently accept their fate.

• They are not allowed in any social or religious gatherings. They are denied admission in pious places as they are seen as unholy. They do not have the right to celebrate festivals with others in the society. Durga Puja has a tradition to bring mud from a brothel. This is the only inclusion they get in society. They have no place in the respected society.

• As our country is fighting the pandemic and having a lockdown, how are the sex workers surviving without income? We do not know. Nor do we care. They are not even considered a part of our country and the Government does not spare a thought about them. Government facilities do not reach them. They have a poor immune system and hence the most susceptible to this disease. Yet, they will die without getting any medical life. 

We, the society, have separated the sex workers and looked at them as commodities to use and throw. We were the persons to force them into the trade and now we are denying our responsibilities. Various NGOs work for their betterment, rescue young girls from brothels and try to bring them to the normal grind of life. But the immense number of sex workers make it difficult to work for their betterment without the Government’s aid. It’s high time we take their responsibility and give them their due social status. Let us join hands and work for their betterment. Let humanity win!!

 

Disclaimer:-

The opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of Light de Literacy and LDL does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.