Legalise our profession: sex workers

Kolkata, Feb 23 (UNI) The sex workers in the country, who prefer to be called entertainment workers, for the first time will conduct a seven-day all India conference of entertainment workers here from February 25.

The Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee, a city-based organisation along with Binodini (Entertainers) Shramik Union of Sonagachi, the largest red-light area in West Bengal, is organising the event.

Durbar had also started a ''revolution'' earlier by setting up a Bank for the sex-workers in 1995, who were denied access to the national and private Banks.

Durbar programme director Bharati Dey yesterday said about 1200 people will participate in the conference with sex-workers from Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

''About Rs 50 lakh would be spent and the entire funding is done by Durbar and each of its member has contributed their salary of seven days,'' she said.

Terming the sex-workers as entertainment workers, Ms Dey, a former sex-worker, said, ''Just as singing, acting, dancing and similar areas provide entertainment, we also provide it through sexual pleasures to our customers. It is our right and we plead to the government to legalise our profession.

She said the event is for those sex workers who are denied most of the fundamental rights provided in the Constitution.

There would be debates and panel discussions on sex workers challenge to patriarchy, sex education in schools, alternative sexual practices, union for sex workers, same sex relationships and trafficking problems among others.

Eminent media personalities and others from different walks of life would participate in the conference, Ms Dey said.

With programmes like Festival of pleasure, 'Mehboob ki mehndi', 'Rang de basanti', Ms Dey said, ''We want to awaken the government and common people to accept this section of the society, who are normal human beings, and will try to erase the social stigma attached to them.'' UNI