Justice, equality, protection sought for sex workers

Vijayawada: There is an urgent need to uphold the rights of sex workers in the country deeply influenced by patriarchal and caste-based hierarchies, says Nandeti Apurwa, president of Vimukthi.

She was addressing the two-day state-level conference with trafficking survivors and victims of commercial sexual exploitation jointly organised by Vimukthi and Help organisations in connection with International Women’s Day with the theme ‘For all women and girls: Rights. Equality, Empowerment,’ here on Thursday.

Apurwa emphasised that female sex workers across the country face systemic discrimination, violence, and social stigma, leaving them vulnerable and legally unprotected. Despite the Supreme Court ruling affirming their fundamental rights, law enforcement agencies continue to harass them. Mental health support, trauma care and protection from violence for them remained unaddressed.

About 65 per cent of sex workers face verbal abuse, 12 per cent experience physical violence, and suffer sexual abuse from clients (28 per cent), family (24 per cent), police (7 per cent), and pimps (9 per cent).

About 88 per cent of sex workers report facing social stigma, with over 60 per cent suffering from depression, stress, and anxiety. The children of sex workers remain highly vulnerable to trafficking. Mission Vatsalya must provide continuous rather than one-time support.

The conference demanded community-based rehabilitation to ensure livelihood support and prevent re-trafficking, strict implementation of GOs for immediate relief and rehabilitation, full victim compensation for all trafficking survivors, strengthening anti-human trafficking units (AHTUs) with proper funding and training, fast-track access to social security schemes including financial aid and legal assistance, tracking and mapping of victims to prevent re-trafficking.

Durgamba (Secretary, Andhra Pradesh Mahila Samakhya), P Padma (State Secretary, POW), Vimukthi leaders Lakshmi and Shanti, HELP secretary Ram Mohan Nimmaraju also participated along with 100 survivors.