Prakash Kamat
Panaji, october 30- In the trying times ,when the pandemic is taking a toll on the sex workers’ conditions, 87% of the sex workers in the red-light area (RLA) of Hanuman Tekdi in Bhiwandi,Maharashtra are eager to take alternative path to sustain a living, shows a survey conducted by Thane-based Shree Sai Seva Sansthan(SSSS), an NGO that primarily focuses on welfare of sex workers.
The NGO is now training sex workers in various programs such as tailoring and diya-making to help the women with employable skills and have a dignified source of income.
With the COVID-19 pandemic,mainstream commercial sexual activity came to a halt due to the fear of transmission of the virus. However, seven months into the crisis, sex workers fear that they will be further pushed into a cycle of debt and poverty.
The findings reveal that over 60% of the sex workers in Hanuman Tekdi have taken loans from informal sources like friends in the neighbourhood, shopkeepers, local money lenders and their own brothel managers. Most of the survey respondents feel they will die of starvation and harassment and have reluctantly started work in the middle of the pandemic.
Bhiwandi is one of Asia’s largest warehouse hubs. Most of the major multinational companies and e-commerce giants have their warehouses set in Bhiwandi. As the town is growing, the red-light area of Hanuman Tekdi is mushrooming and women from other cities and countries are lured here for jobs and then forced into commercial sexual activity.
RLA houses victims of trafficking
What looms large is the dark reality of choice; majority of them are not into sex work by choice. 78% of them were either forced into prostitution by someone they know like a relative, friend or even their husbands or trapped due to poor financial circumstances.
Of the total 500+ sex workers in Hanuman Tekdi, 56% are foreign nationals, the study highlights. Majority of women are from Bangladesh, accounting to 46% of the total community and the rest 10% are from Nepal. These women were either trafficked across the borders or they migrated for work and eventually got trapped in the flesh trade.
Another striking factor is that only 4% of the sex workers are from Maharashtra. The others are predominantly from the southern part of the country, especially from Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamilnadu, and then from is Kolkata, which is a large source state. This sheds light on the rampant sexual exploitation of migrants who cross the borders domestically and internationally for a livelihood, the report states.
Owing to the lack of official identity documents, the women are excluded from the government emergency aids. Moreover, even the recent NHRC advisory stating that the governments should impose moratoriums on loans taken by sex workers from financial institutions do not apply to a majority of the community as they all have loaned from informal sectors.
“It is pertinent to note that for a commercial sex worker it is difficult to obtain a credit loan from formal sector institutions as it involves official paperwork and background clearance. How can you expect trafficked victims to have all paperwork in place? The National Human Rights Commission(NHRC) panel should look at the ground reality,” says Ms. Swati Singh, founder of SSSS which is also working on helping the sex workers get government ID proofs like Aadhaar cards to ensure they get a regular health checkup.
Recommendations from the study:
1.The policy makers, along with the support of various NGOs, should formulate an Alternative Employment Plan for the local sex workers to provide relief during Covid-19 pandemic and to help them opt out of commercial sex work.
2.The District and the State administration should improve state run comprehensive services for CSWs, allocate budget and provide basic skill training programs under the various livelihood and skill development missions for upskilling and providing them various job opportunities.
3.Women who want to start their own venture should be provided with access to easy credit and collateral-free microfinance opportunities.
4.For the victims of human trafficking for sexual exploitation, a special victim relief fund should be established to help them pay-off their debts and move out of a life of exploitation and pain.
Notes:
NHRC advisory https://nhrc.nic.in/
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