The COVID-19 pandemic has put one of the most vulnerable sections of the society – commercial sex workers – in deep distress. A need assessment survey across four red-light areas of the country revealed that all the commercial sex workers questioned stated a loss of income and 88% reported having no alternate source of livelihood. Other on-ground surveys and primary data suggest that majority of sex workers have always been under burden with debt for a variety of reasons, ranging from sending money back home to paying off their monthly rent, that have been further amplified with the pandemic. Surveys with sex workers have revealed that an overwhelming majority are eager to take up alternative livelihood options.
Since the last three months, 9.9 Insights has been assisting WeEducate Foundation, an international non-profit, which is working with a group of civil society organizations based in Mumbai and New Delhi that are keen to work with the commercial sex workers community in these two states and help them rehabilitate and get employed in alternate livelihood opportunities.
WeEducate Foundation, in collaboration with Space2Grow (a social impact consulting firm with a key focus on inclusive livelihoods for the marginalised) and Sattva (a social impact strategy consulting and implementation firm) is organizing a closed door stakeholder consultation on ‘Building alternative livelihood models and pathways of change for Commercial Sex Workers’ on December 4 (Friday) from 02:00 -04:00 pm. The webinar will be moderated by Aarti Mohan, co-founder of Sattva Consulting.
