With incidents of rape rising in West Bengal, sex workers in the city have come together to organise a seminar aimed at sensitising people about the crime.
Orgainsed by an NGO "Durbar Mahila Samanya Samiti", which works for the upliftment of sex workers, the six-day seminar-cum-festival, whose theme is "Pratibade Nari Partirode Nari" (Protesting women, Resisting women), was inaugurated today.
More than 3,000 thousands sex-workers from various parts of the state attended the event in addition to more than 80 from various parts of the country.
The organisation's secretary, Bharati, said, "Rape occurred earlier too. But in last two-three years it has gone up. So as a human being, it is the duty of every sex-worker too to protest. We have to raise awareness and change the mindset of seeing a women as a object of lust."
The seminar will also discuss various other issues such as, child labour, homosexuality, child marriage, Right to Information (RTI), Right to Education (RTE).
