DISCLAIMER: 1. AS INDIVIDUALS DISTANCED FROM THE SONAGACHI DISTRICT AND WORK/MOVEMENTS IN IT, WE RECOGNIZE OUR POSITIONS OF PRIVILEGE WHILE CREATING THIS ZINE. 2. WE CANNOT ADEQUATELY ADDRESS THE BREADTH AND DEPTH OF SEX WORK IN SONAGACHI. OUR INTENT: 1. TO VISIBILIZE THE WORK THAT HAS AND CONTINUES TO BE DONE BY SEX WORKERS FOR THEIR OWN HEALTH AND RIGHTS IN THE SONAGACHI DISTRICT 2. TO EXPLORE HOW THESE GRASSROOTS MOVEMENTS HAVE HAD TRANSNATIONAL IMPACTS INTENDED AUDIENCE: THOSE WHO HAVE NEVER BEEN EXPOSED TO THESE MOVEMENTS AND PLACES PEOPLE WHO WANT TO GAIN MORE AWARENESS AND EDUCATION REGARDING SEX WORKER ORGANIZING IN THE SONAGACHI DISTRICT, AND THEIR IMPACT TRANSNATIONALLY.
The History of the Sonagachi District
The
BRITISH EAST INDIA COMPANY AND THE START OF SONAGACHI
THE START OF THE SONAGACHI DISTRICT: BRITISH SOLDIERS IN KOLKATA LOOKED TOWARD LOCAL WOMEN TO KEEP THEM COMPANY; THEY TOOK ADVANTAGE OF LOCAL WIDOWS WHO COULD NOT REMARRY, AND SEXUALLY EXPLOITED THEM. SONAGACHI WAS MADE.
brunch [ br(eakfast) + (l)unch ] www.brunch.com
THE SONAGACHI DISTRCIT
“Sonagachi is reputedly Asia's largest redlight district. Sonagachi is located in Kolkata,India. Its area contains several hundred multi-story brothels and an estimated 11,000 sex workers (2012).�
sex workers of the sonagachi district
RECLAIMING THE NARRATIVE: the sonagachi project
watch the video here
EDUCATION The Sonagachi Project acknowledges that people in sex work are disproportionally from lower-caste and trans backgrounds. Often the only employment options offered to folks of these backgrounds are sex work or begging. The project works to educate the community of the added risks these groups face both in relation to sex work and to HIV/AIDS.
red light district, chittaranjan avenue & shobhabazar, kolkata
Unionized sex workers in the Sonagachi district demand that their clients use protection
ACTIVISM IN SONAGACHI Sex workers in Sonagachi organize protests and events to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS, safe sex practices, educational opportunities, and rights of sex workers.Â
"sex workers unite in their demand for workers rights by holding a rally on may day"
Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee
"Durbar represents 65,000 sexworkers and is active in identifying and challenging the underlying sociostructural factors that help perpetuate stigma, material deprivation, and social exclusion of sex-workers."
“One stick is feeble. Ten sticks together have immense strength and can fight back collectively. If the day comes, when all of India’s sex workers join Durbar, then all will benefit by it. We can demand the rights of the worker, but if I say this alone, then Parliament won’t listen to me.” “Why should what I do not be accepted? Through sex work, my children and I can eat, I can pay my house rent. If a lawyer’s, teacher’s or doctor’s job is considered good work then why not mine? This is also a job. I do my work and earn my bread. I am a worker.”
“In our STI clinic, anybody can use the services but in government hospitals, receiving services is cumbersome. Doctors and nurses in government hospitals do not behave well with STI patients. We are much more involved in our Durbar clinic so we never behave like that. In our clinic there is no stigma.”
COMMUNITY ORGANIZING PROJECTS
“Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee (DMSC) took an initiative to build-up a sports team comprising around 100 children of sex workers from various red light areas and other indigenous communities like 'Shabar' from rural areas of West Bengal State of India. Till date DMSC does not have any external financial support for the purpose of sports apart from their mother's love and little contribution as per their capacity.�
watch video of Durbar organized street play here
e r o  m s e k i y *
* m s i l a i n o l o c
T R A N S N A T I O N A L I M P A C T “THE SONAGACHI PROJECT FROM KOLKATA, INDIA IS PERHAPS THE MOST WELL-KNOWN EXAMPLE OF A COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT APPROACH TO HIV PREVENTION.”
SOUTH AFRICA MEXICO FRENCH GUIANA CANADA RUSSIA INDIA: ANDRHA PRADESH WEST BENGAL KARNATAKA
“I would like to say is I love myself and you should also do the same to yourself. I am proud to be a woman without Vagina, Uterus, Breasts and Periods; challenging the patriarchy made norms. Do not judge but support gender identity, accept sexual orientation the way it is. We are just Human Beings and we are not privileged to decide anyone’s Identity but can only accept what it really is.”
Ondede, the Kannada word for convergence, is an organization founded by Akkai. It fights for the rights of women and sexual minorities accounting for other marginalized identities like caste and class. The group works with other community partnerships in creating dialogue around issues of Dignity-VoiceSexuality.It conducts research, documentation, and campaigns, as well as provides a platform for individuals and movements to interact, work together, and build solidarities.Â
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT ONDEDE HERE
we want to acknowledge: THE LOWER-CASTE AND TRANS SEX WORKER ACTIVISTS CURRENTLY WORKING IN THE SONAGACHI DISTRICT TO EDUCATE AND EMPOWER THE COMMUNITY AKKAI PADMASHALI SEX WORKERS IN THE SONAGACHI DISTRICT AND TRANSNATIONALLY
for citations email: 97shreya.basu@gmail.com , nmaheshwari@g.hmc.edu