Protecting the Rights of Sex Workers: The Indian Experience

[Guest guest]

Abstract

Protecting the Rights of Sex Workers: The Indian Experience.

Geetanjali Misra, Ajay Mahal, and Rima Shah. Vol. 5, No. 1, 2000.

International Journal of Health and Human Rights.

Although India is a signatory to numerous international agreements on

the rights of women and has a constitution that prohibits

discrimination and exploitation by gender, as well as a plethora of

related legislation, it has failed to satisfactorily protect the

human rights of women, particularly those of sex workers. This is

manifested in high levels of violence in the sex industry, child sex

workers, lack of access to health care, and high levels of HIV

infection. Policies that revolve around rescue and rehabilitation, or

are based on the premise that sex work is immoral, are unlikely to

effectively promote the well-being of sex workers. An alternative

paradigm, which revolves around an explicit recognition of the human

rights of sex workers together with an activist approach to achieve

them, involving a collaboration between NGOs and collectives of sex

workers, has worked well to protect the human rights and health of

sex workers in India.

Copyright © 2001 President and Fellows of Harvard College.