Kolkata, March 3 (IANS) With a view to providing information to sex workers, a Right to Information (RTI) centre was set up Monday at a red-light area here on the occasion of International Sex Workers Day.
The RTI centre was set up by the Durbar Mahila Samanway Committee (DMSC), a sex workers’ collective which also took out a rally in the city.
“The idea behind the RTI centre is to boost up confidence of sex workers in accessing information regarding government schemes as well as about their rights,” said DMSC chief adviser Smarajit Jana.
Jana said a helpline number to address issues of sex workers will also be set up by the end of this year.
Over 1,500 sex workers participated in the rally seeking recognition by the government and demanding they be brought under a government pension scheme.
“Sex workers and their family members can’t access various social entitlements which are offered to general citizens. We consider sex work to be like any other occupation belonging to the unorganised sector and we should be brought under universal pension scheme provided by the government,” said Bharati Dey of the All India Network of Sex Workers (AINSW).