SOCIETY

Sex workers seek education, jobs for their children

     Muzaffarpur: Sex workers in Muzaffarpur town of Bihar, one of the most backward states in the country, are demanding job reservation for their children. One of the largest sex worker colonies in Bihar, Chaturbhuj Sthan, houses 3500 prostitutes, most of whom have been in the profession for generations. After years of neglect and social ostracization they are now appealing for a share in the mainstream, not for themselves, but for their children. The women say their children suffer more than the lower castes, who are provided job reservations under federal laws.

     Meena, a sex worker, whose two daughters also joined the profession, said at least her grandchildren should get a better chance in life. "We are doing this work but do not want our children to be in this profession. We want that there should be good education for them so that they can get good jobs and lead a normal life. They should not be like us...they are fully dependent on us, if we do not work a day then we cannot get them food...we don't want this for our children," she said.

     Though prostitution is illegal in India, all major cities have "red light areas" where women can be hired for a pittance. Most prostitutes, estranged from social security systems and shunned by society, lead extremely sorry lives. Basic assistance like ration cards, health cards and identity cards are rarely possible to attain and with the scare of AIDS looming large, many cannot even avail of medical facilities. Ninetyfour percent of the country's three million sex workers are Indian, while the rest are mainly from neighbouring Bangladesh and Nepal. At least 600,000 minors are also employed in the profession and their number is said to increasing by almost 10 per cent every year.
-April 25, 2004

Previous File