S05.2 Mobilising for health and rights: a history of sex worker activism in india

The implementers of a peer-based HIV prevention program among brothel based female sex workers in Kolkata, India sooner realized [1993] that sex workers’ inability to enforce safer sex is linked to her social and legal position. To address sex workers’ vulnerability they adopted a strategy to empower sex workers at individual, community and at societal level. The ‘collective bargaining power’ of the sex worker could tilt the power balance with other stakeholders including their clients thereby ensuring safer sex as a norm which brings success in prevention program. Condom use rate gone up from 3% to 95% and RPR sero positivity was brought down from 25% to below one% within three years of time. The implementers of a peer based HIV prevention program among brothel based female sex workers in Kolkata, India sooner realized [1993] that sex workers’ inability to enforce safer sex is linked to her social and legal position. To address sex workers’ vulnerability they adopted a strategy to empower sex workers at individual, community and at societal level. The ‘collective bargaining power’ of the sex worker could tilt the power balance with other stakeholders including their clients thereby ensuring safer sex as a norm which brings success in prevention program. Condom use rate gone up from 3% to 95% and RPR sero positivity was brought down from 25% to below one% within three years of time. National AIDS control organization of India took the lessons and incorporated collectivization and capacity building of the sex workers as an integral and budgeted component of HIV intervention program. Major donors like BMGF, DFID followed the suit The policy did help sex workers’ community to regain dignity and confidence and build their collectives in different parts of the country who later took over the management of HIV intervention program. Development of sex workers’ Union at the National level further strengthened their demand to get recognized as a service sector worker who posits STIs and HIV as occupational disease. The union expanded program including other development activities like education for their children, building their financial co-operative, and program to stop violence and trafficking. The Indian National program made success in adopting community led interventions. HIV prevalence among sex workers in major cities came down from 50% to 70% [in 1995] to 3.5% [in 2014] in addition to producing social goods. Collectivization and ownership of the affected community over the process and product of health interventions is critical to success Disclosure No significant relationships.