In a first, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued an advisory recognizing the sex workers as informal workers to make them eligible for beneficiary schemes. The NHRC issued an 11-page advisory titled ‘Human Rights Advisory on rights of Women in Context of COVID-19’, listing the recommendations for sex workers under the women at work section.
The commission had constituted a ‘Committee of Experts on the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on Human Rights and Future Response’ to assess the consequences of the coronavirus outbreak on the realization of the rights of the people, especially the marginalized section. The advisory contains several recommendations that were made by the National Network of Sex Workers (NNSW), an umbrella authority comprising 19 organizations across the country, to the aforementioned committee in August 2020.
It instructs state governments to provide assistance and relief to the sex workers. The advisory also mentions that temporary documents may be issued to enable the sex workers to access welfare measures including Public Distribution System (PDS) as many do not possess ration cards or other citizenry documents. Additionally, it included migrant sex workers in schemes and benefits extended to the migrant workers at large.
The NHRC advisory also recognized sex workers in non-traditional living arrangements and stated that they are prone to domestic abuse from partners and such incidents should be identified and reported.
The governments must ensure access to free testing and treatment of COVID-19 and also provide soaps, sanitizers, and appropriate masks to all sex workers at different localities, it stressed. The authorities also must ensure access to healthcare services, especially for the prevention of HIV, and other sexually transmitted infections and their treatment, it added.
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“Six of the eight demands that we have made have been clearly stated in the advisory. We are very happy. This has been the success of our advocacy for years. We had fought for the decriminalization of the work for so long. We wholeheartedly welcome this decision,” said Tejaswee Sevekari of the Saheli Sangh said while speaking to India Journal. She has been working for over 23 years to empower this vulnerable community.