Hyderabad: International Sex Workers Day is commemorated on June 2 every year. This day is observed to honour the sex workers and recognise the hardships they go through.
The International Sex Workers' Day, advocates for improved working conditions and respect for sex workers.
International Sex workers Day commemoration is an important day for those fighting for the rights of sex workers in various parts of the world. These workers have been subjected to unwarranted violence, and the lack of laws and rights for their line of work has been an alarming issue for decades. This is the reason that the celebration of International Sex Workers Day is of utmost importance.
History of the Day:
On June 2, 1975, hundreds of sex workers occupied the Saint-Nazier church in Lyon, France to protest against the harassment by the police, fines levied by the law enforcement and to press them to investigate the murders and exploitation of sex workers. The workers banded together to protest for a period of 10 days. However, it was cut short by two days when the protestors were forcibly and violently removed by the police.
The movement garnered global attention, and the support of the community and feminist organisations. The protest spearheaded a movement. It gained International momentum when on June 7 1975, Ulla, the leader of the movement told a journalist, “We are victims of gross injustice.” The protest and the widespread attention spurred a movement across the world and thus, June 2 is known as the International Sex Workers Day.
Purpose of the Day:
Healthy living and working conditions are a right for sex workers. They frequently face abuse in their line of work. Additionally, there is a higher risk of disease exposure for sex workers. On International Sex Workers' Day, we raise awareness of the difficulties that sex workers face worldwide and start a dialogue about how we can all work together to support them.
Challenges facing Sex Workers: Sex workers face a number of health and human rights challenges, such as increased risk of HIV infection and poor care and treatment results, interpersonal and institutional violence, violations of labor rights, and unstable income.
Across the globe, sex workers continue to encounter numerous obstacles in their pursuit of justice, both as accused of crimes or as victims of crimes. Sex workers frequently work in dangerous conditions and are exploited, which can have a serious negative impact on their health.
Rights of Sex Workers in India:
In June 2022, the Supreme Court of India noted sex work as a profession and stated that sex workers should be treated with dcency and dignity and the government officials should not interfere or take any criminal action when an adult engages in consensual sex work. The SC noted that the sex workers and their children are covered under the protection of Article 21- right to life, of the Indian Constitution. Sex work in India is governed by the Immoeal Traffic (prevention) Act and Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act (ITPA), 1956. The Indian Panel Code (IPC) and Juvenile Justice Act also have provisions dealing with Sex work and trafficking in India.
Countries that have made prostitution legal:
There are an estimated 42 million prostitutes around the world. Prostitution is legal in Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Mozambique, Turkey, Eritrea, Sierra Leone, Greece, Hungary, Germany, Switzerland, Uruguay, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela.
