'Work' or 'Crime' ?

"We believe that like anyother occupation, Sex-work is too an occupation and not a moral condition. If it is one of the 'oldest' profession in the world, that is because it must have continued to meet an important and consistent social demand."

"When prostitution starts with violence and sexual abuse how can we call it "work"?.. An action that violates human rights, how can we call it work?"

The two statements quoted above reveal the diametrically different positions held by two conflicting ideals, both working with and claimimng to represent voices of sex workers. There are many issues that needs to be addressed like the question of right of women in trade; human right violation with in the trade. In the first statement, sex-workers are seen as labourers, meeting an important social demand; in the second, prostitutes are represented as 'innocent victims', subjected to human right violation.

I have been following various issues attached with sex workers from last three years through various newspapers. Whether it is the highly organised Sonagachi in Calcutta or the tightly controlled but poverty driven red light slum of Malishahi in Bhubaneswar or the structure of family based sex trade in Tikirapada in Angul the issues remain the same.

Acute proverty remains the base line for these workers to take on sex as there profession. The super cyclone in 1999 created increased impoverishment in Orissa. The burden on the extended family increased and they left for this job. There are other reasons too that includes family disputes, willingness, misguided, tradition, kidnapped. Most of the factors that push them into this flesh trade are not binding to our morals, however truth is hard to digest -> There are 80,000 sex workers in Calcutta and more than thousand in Bhubaneswar and in total more 115,000 lives thrive on it. 

Government now seems to be in land of great confusion. This can be well explained by the position in which Orissa government is in. In a recent order passed by High court of Orissa, that ask the state goverment not to evict the commercial sex workers of Malishahi without proper rehabiliation. With Families driven into the buisness, they donot have any other options opened to them, due to the social stigma attached to the profession, so they are sticking to it as there family buisness.

After acquiring the status of “workers”, sex workers are now journeying towards achieving the title of “entertainment workers” this was their demand at the All-India Conference of Entertainment Workers 2007. There are 70 red light areas in West Bengal with 14 in Kolkata alone. Sex workers in Bhubneswar from August 2000 have started demanding legalization of their proffesion. 

However what next is not known to anyone. The number of commercial sex workers are increasing day by day carrying ID cards and participating in various AIDS awareness camps. The issue perhaps was not addressed properly when it was needed, and perhaps government is now in deadlock situation. Government is finding it quite difficult to address issues relating to health, rehabiliation of these workers and convincing them to leave their profession is the toughest job at hand.

Are we too are to be blamed for this senario of society? Is it that, we are the largest purchager of sex that made this trade so huge? What would be the next generation society if present generation fails to rehabilite these workers? Where this would lead us to......  Now this senario posses a single but a complicated question before us...... 

Prostitution as Livelihood 

      'Work' or 'Crime' ?