Saheli HIV/AIDS Karyakarta Sangh
Saheli HIV/AIDS Karyakarta Sangh is the only collective of Women in Sex Work in Pune with an aim to create a platform for women in sex work to come together and resolve their issues with a rights-based approach.
Starting with 9 community members, Saheli has the strong support of 2200 general body members, covering almost 90% of total sex workers population of women in sex work in the red-light area.
Saheli Sangh believes 'Sex-work' is work and takes initiative to implement various need-based programs from HIV/AIDS Awareness to Legal Literacy and a range of activities for advocating decriminalizing sex work and sex workers. Saheli Sangh being founder member of NNSW - National Network of Sex Workers (India) works at all levels, from local to global for the rights of sex workers.
After 25 years of the journey, Saheli Sangh is stepping ahead to reach out to support the women and transpersons who face sexual violence. AAVAJ project will work with a three-pronged approach, awareness, prevention, and intervention for relief from Sexual violence.
Background
Creating awarenes sabout HIV/AIDS prevention & control among sex workers since 1991
The People's Health Organization (PHO), started working in Pune's red-light area in 1991 to create awareness about HIV/AIDS prevention and control among sex workers. The awareness at the community level helped in identifying multiple issues of sex workers and a self-governing body of sex workers for the sex workers evolved taking initiative to work with sex workers. Now even catering the women who are into sex work but not in the brothels from Pune as well as Pimpri-Chinchwad.
