Dr. Charu Walikhanna, Member, was Guest of Honour at the ‘National Consultation on Protection of Dignity and Rights of Sex Workers’ organized by All India Network of Sex Workers (AINSW) on 21.08.2013 at Constitution Club, New Delhi. 

AINSW representing 67 community based sex worker’s organizations is spread across 16 states in India and has been working in the field of HIV/AIDS for a decade. A nation-wide campaign has been launched calling for decriminalisation of sex work, besides social recognition and legal rights to help eliminate violence and exploitation. Bharati Dey, President of AINSW, welcoming the participants said, that they had come to the capital with the hope that political leaders from different affiliations will seriously reflect on their concerns. 

The National Consultation commenced with tying of rakhis to Chief Guest Shri Barun Mukherjee, MP (Rajya Sabha), Shri Basudev Acharia, MP( Lok Sabha), Shri Avijit Mukherjee, MP (Lok Sabha) and Guest of Honour Dr. Charu WaliKhanna, Member, NCW. 

Dr. Charu WaliKhanna, Member, NCW Chaired Session on Legal Reforms To Prevent Conflation Of Sex Work and Trafficking. She said that due to HIV / AIDS the needs of certain socially disadvantaged groups have been highlighted and their voices included in policy making. She reiterated what Mr. Mukherjee, MP, said that every citizen in India has a right to dignified life. She lamented the fact that sex workers are often victims of police and local gundas who beat, harass and abuse them. She also informed the gathering that NCW has sent its recommendations in November 2012 to Ministry of Women and Child Development on Review of ITPA, 1956 which deals with ‘human trafficking’. She said the National Commission for Women is gravely concerned about the human rights violation of women and hence recommended the repeal of the present ITPA 1956 on grounds of being limited and circumscribing the scope of the problem and recommends a new legislation. The term trafficking cannot be seen solely from sexual exploitation angle as women and children are trafficked for various other purposes. Suggestions included among others that definition of prostitution, prostitutes and brothels may not be defined under ITPA as sexual exploitation is not purely brothel based; and that the draft integrated plan of Action to combat trafficking in women and children jointly prepared by NCW, MHA, NHRC, UNICEF and MWCD is still under consideration of the Ministry. 

In the two day programme numerous session were conducted on the topics such as Social Inclusion, Protection and Entitlements, Legal reforms to prevent conflation of sex work and trafficking, Protecting health through collectivization and empowerment, Addressing violence in sex work settings, etc. In these sessions a number of experts / activists and intellectuals shared their view and concerns. Ms. K Ratna Prabha, Member Secretary, NCW and Additional Secretary, Ministry of WCD, Anand Grover, Sr. Advocate & Director, Lawyers Collective, Tine Staermose, Director, ILO, Lov Verma, DG, NACO, Ashok Alexander, Former Director, Avahan India AIDS Initiative, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation were among other prominent speakers. Dr. Smarajit Jana, advisor of AINSW said that the community will have to do a lot of work to ensure that the rights guaranteed by Articles 14-21 of the Constitution become a reality for every sex worker in the country.

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