Maharashtra sex workers get their own community radio
By ANISaturday, January 22, 2011
AHMEDNAGAR - Commercial sex workers in Maharashtra now have the opportunity to express themselves and discuss their issues using a community radio.
A non-government organization (NGO) has set up a radio station exclusively for sex workers in Ahmednagar that they can discuss matters pertaining to their day-to-day lives and the problems they face as marginalized members of society.
The NGO has also given training to some sex workers to work in the radio station.
Girish Kulkarni, the director of the NGO, said that the radio station would give sex workers a way to express their problems.
“They are an oppressed section of the society and they needed a way to express themselves. And they have now found a way to voice their opinion through this radio station. They will discuss their issues so that it reaches the government and people and we want them to use this medium to express themselves,” he said.
Currently, the radio channel airs 14 hours of programming, including songs and entertainment content.
Meena Pathak, a sex worker and a radio jockey, said this initiative would encourage sex workers to express themselves more openly.
“Earlier, we had to go to women, but now because of this radio channel we won’t have to go to them, they can directly contact us, they will benefit from it,” she said. (ANI)
