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Fourth Nat'l Confce Begins Today

'Ensure budgetary allocation for development of sex workers'

Staff Correspondent
The fourth national conference of the sex workers begins at the Gonoshasthya Kendra in Savar today with a call for ensuring budgetary allocation for the development of sex workers and their children and sex workers' representation in the Jatiya Sangsad to uphold their demands.
With the support of ) ActionAid Bangladesh, Sex Workers Network of Bangladesh (SWNB) is organising the three-day conference.
Ahead of the conference, SWNB leaders placed an eight-point demand before the government at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity yesterday.
They demanded transparency and accountability in all aspects of the development activities of the sex workers.
The other demands include inclusion of sex workers in national women movement, announcement of social rehabilitation on sex workers and their children . from prime minister, stopping eviction of brothels without effective and permanent alternative life and livelihood and ensuring sex workers participation while making these decisions.
SWNB President Mamtaz Begum presided over the conference.
She said the existing laws did not ban sex work, but it says in the Article 18, Clause 2 of the constitution that the state will take effective steps to eliminate prostitution and gambling. This kind of ambiguity in laws eventually provokes the tyrants to exploit the sex workers, she added.
She urged the government to take measures to clarify the ambiguity in the existing laws relating to sex workers.
Executive Director of Nijera Kori Khushi Kabir said the constitution has given equal rights to all citizens. So, everyone should get equal opportunity irrespective of his/her profession, cast or religion.
“We should change our mindset towards sex workers to establish their social and human rights,” she said, adding the dual social position has to be changed.
ASM Atiqur Rahman, professor of Social Welfare Institute of Dhaka University, called on the social welfare ministry to take steps to make specific action plan on the sex workers' issue.
Urging the government to bring the issue related to sex workers under local government to deal the issue properly, he said the women organisations should raise their voice to bring about changes.
"Religious leaders specially
the Imams can play a vital role to create awareness among the general people about the rights of sex workers," he added.
SWNB General Secretary Shahnaz Begum and Joya Sikder, treasurer of SWNB, also spoke.