WB: Sex workers in Sonagachi taking up other work as well, since difficulties persist

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], April 27 : Many women, who were working as sex workers in brothels in Kolkata's Red Light area in Sonagachi have changed their profession as they faced severe hardships during and after the Covid pandemic.

Sonagachi is a place where 12,000 sex workers work in brothels.

As the Covid pandemic struck, they started facing severe difficulties amid the restrictions and lockdowns.

For meeting their needs, now some workers also started going out from the brothel and doing some other jobs. They were working as maids, shopkeepers and other small jobs.

Some of the sex workers have changed their profession, while the remaining of them continue to live in brothels.

Vishakha Lashkar, the Secretary of the Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee told that they didn't allow a single client in Sonagachi during the Covid times.

"During the Covid situation and lockdown, we didn't allow a single client in Sonagachi. Even none of our girls suffered from Covid and they all were Negative. We also arranged all the protocols for them. They all are vaccinated with three doses of Covid vaccine," she said.

The Secretary added, "During Covid time, we all suffered mentally and economically too. Here our economy totally depended on sex because we are sex workers. That time we had to manage many things, some of our clients also helped us through online means".

She further said that even today, the situation is not very different, and there are still many hardships in their lives.

"Although, Covid has gone the situation of many sex workers has not improved like pre-pandemic times," she added.

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