SC wants dignity for sex workers: Where is prostitution most prevalent in India?
India Today
Following the Supreme Court's recognition of sex work as a profession, find out where prostitution is most prevalent in India.
Prostitution is known as the oldest profession in the world. But for a long time, it did not find dignity in Indian society. Now, however, the Supreme Court’s new order has brought some light to the dark world of more than eight lakh sex workers in India. The apex court not only recognised prostitution as a profession but also instructed the police to neither interfere nor take criminal action against adult, consenting sex workers.
The Supreme Court bench said, “It need not be gainsaid that, notwithstanding the profession, every individual in this country has a right to a dignified life under Article 21 of the Constitution. Constitutional protection that is given to all individuals in this country shall be kept in mind by the authorities who have a duty under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act,1956.”
Even in the absence of any legal recognition for sex workers, red-light areas are popular in almost all the major cities, including GB Road in New Delhi, Kamathipura in Mumbai, and Sonagachi in Kolkata.
More than half of the 8.25 lakh identified female sex workers (FSW) in India are from the five southern states — Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Telangana. Andhra Pradesh has 1.33 lakh sex workers while Karnataka has 1.2 lakh. There are 22,060 FSWs in Uttar Pradesh and 46,787 in New Delhi.
Like India, the world is also divided in recognising prostitution as a legal profession. In some countries like Uruguay, Netherlands, Germany, Turkey, and Hungary, sex work is not only legal but is organised and regulated. While in a few countries like Iran, repeated offenders can even be executed.
With the apex court now saying that sex workers are entitled to equal protection of the law, the police are expected to refrain from interfering or taking any criminal action in cases where it is clear that the sex worker is an adult and participating with consent. The order from the top court says that sex workers should not be harassed, arrested, penalised or victimised by the police.
The government too, has come to the rescue of the sex workers’ community during dire times. For instance, the government distributed dry rations to sex workers during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
