Decriminalizing sex workers is not equal to legalisation of sex work. The ITPA also does not criminalise sex workers, section 8 is often abusive to women in prostitution. We should be fighting to get the sex work group respond to the call for criminalisation of pimps, brothel managers and brothel owners – and take away the debate from the issue of criminalisation/ decriminalisation of sex workers.
Our fight has been against trafficking, exploitation of women and children by traffickers, and exploitation of brothel managers, pimps and others. We are not against sex workers. HELP has been working with sex workers for many years – we have mobilised and organised sex workers to form an organisation – Vimukthi – which has been fighting against child prostitution, trafficking and corruption.
Even in this COVID, they have been fighting to get rations, cash benefits and other welfare measures – to survive and protect their children. We know that putting them in shelter homes has failed as a model – it has not led to their poverty alleviation. Giving a few of them livelihood of Bakery, Tailoring, dress designing, book binding and furniture making does not solve the larger problem.
The anti prostitution stance benefits pimps, brothel owners and managers – because it makes sex workers more vulnerable to seeking their protection from police.
