By IANS,
Mysore : Scars of violence marking Revathi’s face is not easy to be missed by anyone. But more than that, it is the emotional trauma of being sold off by her husband to a pimp who has inflicted severe physical torture on the 28-year-old sex worker that has left a lifetime “injury” on her very identity.
It is the uncountable and disturbing stories of violence like Revathi’s inflicted within the family, within the profession and from outside elements that marks the lives of 1200 female sex workers from across Karnataka state who came together through a unique satellite based two-day interactive programme at Abdul Nazir Sab State Institute of Rural Development that ended Thursday.
A collaborative effort of Karnataka State AIDS Prevention Society (KSAPS) and Karnataka Health Promotion Trust (KHPT), the satellite programme is an attempt to help the sex workers to look deeper into their own situations and struggles and help them avail social entitlements, reduction of violence on them and making them aware about HIV/AIDS.
“Police often physically assault us without any reason. Or, else they demand free sexual favours from us. Tell us why, we are subjected to such oppression on a daily basis?” asked Renuka from Chitradurga, 200 km from state capital Bangalore to D.V. Guruprasad, additional director general of police, recruitment and training, Karnataka who was addressing the discussion from the Institute.
Similar was the question of Suryakala from Shimoga to the members of KHPT as she demanded identity card for sex workers in the state to help them lead a harassment-free life.
“My husband daily beats me and takes away my earning. I have no one to help me,” sobbed Dhanashri from Mangalore.
The effective use of satellite communication has been made possible through SATCOM centre at the Institute, which has been operating successfully with support from ISRO, since 2000.
Through a one-way video and two-way audio transmission helped the sex workers from 29 districts of the state to discuss their issues with a group of expert panelists from KHPT, KSAPS, state social welfare department and police department sitting here.
“We have tried to use technology to understand and share the problems of the sex workers and solve their problems. Sex workers are highly vulnerable to HIV/AIDS, thus we are discussing all the related issues to help fight the spread of the dreaded disease,” Manjunath Prasad, project director of KSAPS.
“It is an experiment. If we succeed we will continue the process and help other states to emulate us,” he added.
Activists working to spread awareness on HIV/AIDS among sex workers in the state have found that “violence of severe nature” is perpetrated against sex workers from various quarters.
“They have to endure violence in every step of their life. Be it at home or outside, sex workers, because of the taboo associated with their profession and moreover, these are poor women, they are subjected to brutal beating and harassment on a regular basis,” said Mallika, a counsellor at KHPT.
“The issue of violence needs to be addressed as it is interlinked with several other dimensions in the lives of sex workers. HIV/AIDS is not an isolated subject and we have to address several dimensions, including violence in the lives of sex workers to achieve our target of controlling the prevalence of the disease,” Vandana Gurnani, director of KHPT.
Experts believe that legalisation of the profession of the sex workers can hugely help to reduce cases of violence against them.
Currently the issue of prostitution is a contentious one in India. India is estimated to have 2 million female sex workers. According to a Human Rights Watch report, the country’s anti-trafficking laws are designed to combat commercialized vice. Prostitution, as such, is not illegal.
Brothels are illegal “de jure”, but in practice they are restricted in location to certain areas of any places.
According to an estimate of KSAPS, the state has 85,000 sex workers. After working for five years with sex workers at the grassroot level, KHPT and KSAPS has formed the Karnataka State Network of Female Sex Workers, the core group to help them become aware about HIV/AIDS and prevent its further growth.
The state has 250,000 HIV infected persons and 33,000 suffering from AIDS, as stated by KSAPS. But only 22,000 members are registered under the society.
An estimated 2.5 million people in India, aged between 15 and 49, are feared to be living with HIV/AIDS, the third largest number in the world.