Female Sex Workers Of Jaipur Decides To Form Organization

The female sex workers (FSWs) of the city have decided form a community-based organization (CBO) for their empowerment and lead a healthy life without the scare of sexually transmitted diseases.

Over 100 FSWs from the state gathered in Jaipur on Wednesday. The gathering was organized by UNFPA (UN Population Fund India) in partnership with Rajasthan State Aids Control Society (RSACS) and Ashodaya Samiti, Mysore. In the meeting sex workers expressed the wish that since they are unable to take benefit of social entities like ratio card, domestic gas connection, sending children to school among other things, they feel the need to have a community-based organization.

At three places Ajmer, Kishangarh and Alwar, CBOs have already been formed. On Wednesday, they decided to form CBOs in Jaipur, Sawai Madhopur and Udaipur.

An Ashodaya office-bearer, who herself is an FSW, said: “We came to Rajasthan to help FSWs here to form CBOs. But we faced a lot of difficulty as FSWs do not come in open and we contacted NGOs working here who helped us in finding FSWs in the state.”

She said that they have a CBO in Mysore, formed in 2004, which helped them in HIV prevention; develop self esteem, dignity and confidence. “After the formation of CBO in Mysore, we have Ashodaya hotel and Ashodaya Academy,” she said.

An FSW from Kishangarh said: “We have named their CBO as Shakti Udai. One year has passed since formation of our CBO. In the last one year, over 10 ten of our children were admitted to schools.”

src: TOI