‘Sex workers face abuse in Tamil Nadu’

The recent data was collected from over 11 districts in the state, covering more than 21,000 sex workers, by Swasti, a health resource group. The data collected by the organisation reveals that violence among sex workers was the highest in Salem district with as many as 489 of them from the district reporting abuse in the last one year. 

The abuse they faced was categorised into different categories - children-related, verbal/ emotional and psychological, extortion, money, property related and sexual among others. It is said that out of these, the maximum complaints of abuse were reported in the verbal/ emotional and psychological category. The other districts that are ranking high were Krishnagiri (299) Madurai (297), Theni (295) and Tiruvallur (236), to name a few. 

K Jeyaganesh, Deputy Stage Programme Manager, Swasti, Tamil Nadu, said that sex workers, including women and transgenders exercised great caution before reporting such cases. “It is because they have to return to the partner or the family that is inflicting such violence on them. Therefore, they are wary and do not confide zeasily about such abuses,” he said. He added that the best solution was to empower them to deal with it. “Abuse is high among women even in the general population. Since they come into the trade due to poverty mostly, they face a lot of odds coping in it.  We empower them to stand up against it and cope with it. Sensitisation is still a long way ahead,” he added.