Maitreya J, Jayasree AK; International Conference on AIDS.
Int Conf AIDS. 2002 Jul 7-12; 14: abstract no. TuPeG5544.
FIRM, Thiruvananthapuram, India
ISSUES: 1) The Government of Kerala, India is trying to run projects among high-risk groups without touching the existing criminalizing laws of these groups, especially sex workers and gay community. The projects have completed five years and lot of money is wasted because of this silence or conscious neglect. 2) Protecting Human Rights of these sections is a precondition to the effective implementation of prevention projects. DESCRIPTION: Being a high literate and densely populated state, Kerala's population can't find enough jobs for their sustenance. So there is a heavy migration to other states of India and to Gulf countries. The old Malabar Coast famous for its spices is now the part and parcel of Kerala, which in turn invites lot of movement of people from abroad. Now the tourism industry is also flourishing. This created all possibilities for an AIDS scare and the Government started projects to prevent it by targeting the high-risk groups. But they never touched the existing law criminalizing sex work and also the law criminalizing homosexuality calling it unnatural offence. Moreover the silence on sexuality instituted by the Victorian missionaries through the schools added to the woes. NGO's like ours who took the projects from the start faced and is still facing stiff resistance from the people and the bureaucrats alike. The Government's stand of turning the face away when it comes to the issues of Human Rights of sexworkers and gay communities definitely destroyed the effectiveness of the projects. LESSONS LEARNED: After five years of project implementation, we are concluding that if the authorities do not act to change the existing criminalizing laws, the projects won't work. Whenever there is a lull in police action the sex workers and gay communities co-operated with us more. RECOMMENDATIONS: Change the laws criminalizing sexwork and homosexuality. Give dignity so they can act with responsibility.
Publication Types:
Keywords:
- Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
- Government
- Homosexuality
- Human Rights
- Humans
- India
- Legislation
- Male
- Population
- Prostitution
- Sexual Behavior
- education
Other ID:
UI: 102250762
From Meeting Abstracts