Living in a BROTHEL
The main and largest red light area of Mumbai is Kamathipura with three sub-areas - Falkland Road or Play House, Foras Road and Sukhlaj Street.

Here, most buildings are occupied by flesh traders.

The Space: This area has the usual problems with electricity and water supply. Passage ways and gutters are worse - an ideal breeding ground for contagious diseases. The land space per person ratio is low.

In this cubicle, anywhere between 4 - 15 girls or women take turns with customers on a series of 5 - 6 beds, separated only by a thin plywood sheet, or sometimes just a cloth sheet.

The Area:The ground floor brothels are commonly called 'PINJARA' (cages). These are interspersed with a variety of shops like hair dressing saloons; eateries; paan, cigarette and liquor shops.

A number of unlicensed medical practitioners advertise a speciality for treating Sexually Transmitted Diseases/ Infections (STDs/ STIs). They claim magical remedies for impotency problems as well.

Cinema houses and video parlours within the area openly play X-rated films, day and night. They also supply videos, CD players and even TV sets to the brothels on demand.

The inner lanes have several shops running various illegal activities like gambling dens and narcotics joints. Many small industries operate on the periphery of the brothels. Most deny legal norms.

___________________:___________________

Demography: Most women come here from the borders of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and neighbouring countries like Bangladesh and Nepal.

Earlier, majority of girls were 'supplied' through temple-based trafficking rampant in the south Indian states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

This was the 'traditional route' through the 'Devadasi' and 'Venkatsani' systems.

But now, tradition is being overshadowed by desperation as Bangladeshi women have started flooding the 'market,' due to extreme poverty back home.

There remains a large number of Nepali girls who are kept in a few, better maintained, exclusive brothels. These women earn more because they are fair-skinned.

___________________:___________________

Customers are largely

1. Sex tourism: Business men and other tourists
2. Floating population
3. Local community

Most customers are in the grip of dangerous myths like:

• Sex with children cures Sexually Transmitted Illnesses (STIs), including HIV. This is because the child will take the disease unto her/ himself and free the adult sufferer
• Sex has to be without any barrier/ condom for sexual potency to increase, or STIs to be cured in the adult
• Sex with children involves the least risk of contracting STIs including HIV- AIDS
• Sex with a young virgin restores and even fortifies one's masculinity

___________________:___________________

Our Main Challenges

Regular meetings between staff and trustees are held to re -assess efforts and strategies for long term goals and planning.

Stigma and discrimination
• Finding trained, skilled and qualified staff and volunteers to work with us is hard because of the unawareness and stigma attached to this section of our society.

Thus, our relatively low staff turnover and the range of activities are notable achievements.

• Most people who come in contact with women in prostitution and their children deny them any form of courtesy, respect or regard. Even getting proper medical and other health service is not easy.

Resistance: Hard decisions we make, even with the best of intentions, don't always sit well with the community. < Case Study >

Awareness: The media sometimes sensationalises instead of portraying the truth. < Case Study >

Can't find what you are looking for? Try our site SEARCH below