Problems of sex workers: issues and challenges-A case study of south 24 parganas district, West Bengal, India

There are over 800000 sex workers in india. However unofficial figures place these numbers far higher. Sex work is a pre-requisite to ensure the physical and emotional inviolability of sex workers, their right to life, right to freedom of labour, health and reproductive and sexual right. In this research with almost 1000 sex workers in south 24 parganas also finds a substantial segment of women had prior experience of alternative work and often for sex work for better income and livelihood opportunities. The International Labour Organisation(ILO) and UNDP have emphasised on the need to provide sex workers with legally enforceable right to occupational health and safety and right to participate in the process of developing work place health and safety standard. There for the main aim of this paper is to explain the problems, issues and challenges of sex worker.