Project Udaan Helps Sex Workers to Overcome Social Stigma in Kolkata

Overview

Her husband did not do any work and was a drunkard. One day he brought her to see the city and sold her to the brothel. He started demanding money and abused her regularly. When she got fed up and protested, the man took their son and went away. Till date, she has no clue where her son is, and she believes he has also been sold somewhere.

She works as a sex worker and supports her parents and herself. She fears every moment that she might get infected by AIDS or other sexually transmitted diseases but has no choice. When asked what she would do when she ages or if she becomes ill, she says she has no idea. She yearns to come out of this trade and wants to be in some other profession.

After doing our specially designed program, she said that she felt as if a weight had been lifted from her. She eagerly looks forward to our vocational training programs to find a way out of her present situation and to move on towards a life of self-sufficiency and dignity.

This is the story of one of the many lives we touched in Sonagachi, the largest red-light district in Kolkata, India through Project Udaan. Home to over 11,000 sex workers from India, Nepal, and Bangladesh, it is an area rife with brothels. Our interventions seek to improve the living standards of these sex workers giving them new hope.

What change did we bring?

Most sex workers live an unrelenting life by being exploited by brothel owners, pimps, local mafia, police, and even their own families. They are faced with a constant threat of violence and crime and live under the fear of contracting HIV or other STDs. Through our health camps and wellness programs, we have aided their physical well-being and have helped them come out of stress.

It is heartening to see the change that our programs and interactions have brought about in the mindset of the children of these sex workers. These programs help them to become free from the deep-rooted stigma that has conditioned them to live in a state of low self-esteem and have robbed them of the joys of childhood.

How does the journey look so far?

• Introduced Sudarshan Kriya to the sex workers to help them overcome the stigma that they live with
• Bal Chetna Shibirs conducted for children of sex workers to boost their self-esteem and pride
• Monthly medical camps organized where check-ups were done and medicines were provided free of cost.
• Free learning center for children studying up to class 4 has been opened with mid-day meals for them

How did we work?

The women of the red-light district are exploited and stigmatized by almost everyone they come in touch with. As a result, they were suspicious of our efforts when we first talked to them. We approached the Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee (DMSC), an NGO that has been working with them for the last 15 years, to build inroads to the community and to win trust. It was only after this that we could start our initiatives.

What did we learn?

Most sex workers continue to work in the trade as they have no alternative way of earning their living. While a few of them immerse themselves in a hedonistic life of sex and drinking, most of them save for their children and family members from their meager incomes.

All they desire is to live a life of dignity by coming out of the trade, but their environment makes it extremely difficult. Equipping these women with vocational skills is just one small step to help them walk towards an alternative life.

What lies ahead?

The project is aimed at saving the next generation from falling into the same trap. Led by B B Chawla and Subhra Ray, the team has worked on the inculcation of value systems in innocent children, especially girls, and also opened a school for them. At present, 15-20 students attend school and classes that began in October 2014.

The project team is determined to establish a boarding school away from Kolkata so that such children can be groomed in a caring atmosphere.

How can you contribute?

We would like to continue our interventions in these areas and help more women and children. Private and NGO partnerships can help us to work towards that goal.