21 Aug Over 50% Abuse of Sex Workers Unreported
HYDERABAD: More than 50 per cent of sex workers in Andhra Pradesh do not come out in the open about abuse, a survey conducted by Population Council, a New York-based NGO revealed.
The study was conducted in four states — United Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra — between 2010 and 2011. According to the survey, Tamil Nadu tops the list with 67 per cent of female sex workers who do not lodge complaints against abuse followed by Karnataka (54 per cent) and Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra with 52 per cent.
“We conducted the survey on as many as 2,000 female sex workers in the state and found that around 1,100 remain silent on the abuse faced by them,” programme associate with Population Council Nandish Saggurthi said and added that the sex workers do not perceive atrocities against them as violence.
Citing an example, Saggurthi said, “The abuse against them is not taken seriously by the police who are of the opinion that it is the sex workers themselves who create the problem.”
The research also reveals that the non-disclosure is one of the key obstacles in fighting and prevention of AIDS.
Founder of Prajwala, an NGO working against human trafficking, Sunitha Krishnan condemns the use of the word ‘female sex worker’ as she feels no woman enters the profession out of choice. “The legal term is VOCSEC, an acronym for Victims of Commercial Sexual Exploitation,” she said.
Describing in detail about the atrocities and why they are reluctant to come out in the open about them, she said “Around six to seven people are dependant on her financially. Hence it becomes very difficult for her to come out in the open with her problems.”
Source: New Indian Express