In India, the Constitution guarantees the rights of its citizens without discrimination. Yet, the rights of the vulnerable and marginalized continue to be denied or violated regularly.
Female sex workers are one such community who are denied of their rights due to their choice of livelihood – sex work. The lack of recognition of sex work as valid choice of employment heightens their vulnerability as it deprives them of their basic rights such as livelihood, health care as well as education for their children. Recognizing the power of collective action, the sex workers like other marginalized communities are forming Collectives to claim their constitutional rights. This project attempts to understand how large Collectives such as Veshya Anyay Mukti Parishad (VAMP) and Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee (DURBAR), in different parts of the Country have become a medium for empowerment for sex workers by institutionalizing their rights and enabling them to lead a dignified life in the society.
The findings through research, and deliberations with relevant stakeholders and representatives from the sex worker community, informed the need to design an interactive tool that could be used as an informative book/guide to spread awareness and the benefits of being part of a Collective. The book highlights the advantages of collective action to claim one’s basic rights and other socio-economic benefits derived by the community/individuals who joins these Collective and is available in two languages, English & Hindi.
The tool can also be used by the members of the Collectives for building capacity of sex workers to advocate for their rights, as well as an informative book/guide to spread awareness about collectivization.
