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{{Short description|Nonprofit organization in Calcutta, India}}
{{EngvarB|date=May 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2014}}

{{Infobox organization | name = Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee

| bgcolor =  | fgcolor =  | image = DMSS peer educators.png| image_border = | size =  | alt =  | caption =Peer educators of the Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee in the streets of Kolkata | map =  | msize =  | abbreviation =DMSC | motto = | formation = 1995<ref name=mint2012/>| extinction =  | type = CBO | status =  | purpose =  | headquarters = | location = [[Sonagachi]], [[Kolkata]] | coords =  | region_served = [[West Bengal]] | membership =[[sex worker]]s| language =  | leader_title = President | leader_name =Putul Halder | leader_title2 = Secretary| leader_name2 =Kajol Bose | leader_title3 = Mentor| leader_name3 = Bharati Dey | leader_title4 = Chief Advisor| leader_name4 = Dr. Smarajit Jana | key_people = | main_organ =  | parent_organization =  | affiliations =  | budget = | num_staff = | num_volunteers = | website = {{URL|http://www.durbar.org/ }} }}

The '''Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee''' ({{lang-bn|দুর্বার মহিলা সমন্বয় সমিতি}} ''Durbar Mohila Shômonbôe Shomiti'' "Unstoppable Women's Synthesis Committee") or '''Durbar''', is a collective of 65,000 [[sex worker]]s in [[West Bengal]]. Established on 15 February 1992, in [[Sonagachi]], the largest [[red-light district]] in Kolkata, [[West Bengal]], India with estimated 11,000 sex workers, Durbar has been working on women's rights and [[sex workers' rights]] [[advocacy]], [[anti-human trafficking]] and [[HIV/AIDS]] prevention.<ref name=mint2012>{{cite news |title=The new rhythms of Sonagachi: As the city's sex workers collective turns 20...|url=http://www.livemint.com/2012/02/24202846/The-new-rhythms-of-Sonagachi.html |publisher=[[Mint (newspaper)|Mint]] |date=24 February 2012 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2208/stories/20050422000408100.htm A missionary enterprise] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071021105230/http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2208/stories/20050422000408100.htm |date=21 October 2007 }} [[Frontline (magazine)|Frontline]], Volume 22 - Issue 08, 12 - 25 Mar. 2005</ref> The Durbar states that its aims are the challenging and altering of the barriers that form the everyday reality of sex workers' lives as they relate to their poverty or their [[ostracism]]. Durbar runs 51 free clinics for sex workers across West Bengal, with support from organisations such as the [[Ford Foundation]] and the [[National AIDS Control Organisation]] (NACO), who also help Durbar in its initiatives like networking, rights protection and creating alternative livelihood for sex workers.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sex workers' union gives them the power to say no|url=http://www.livemint.com/2009/11/30230829/Sex-workers8217-union-gives.html |publisher=[[Mint (newspaper)|Mint]] |date=30 November 2009 }}</ref>

The group is overtly political in its aims of fighting for the recognition of prostitution as legal work and, of sex workers as workers<ref>[http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1094088 Sex workers demand labour rights on May Day] DNA India - Tuesday, 1 May 2007 17:52 IST</ref> and, for a secure social existence of sex workers and their children. They work for the legalisation of prostitution and seek to reform laws that restrict [[human rights]] of sex

==History==
On 15 February 1992, a public health scientist Dr. Smarajit Jana of [[All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health]], Kolkata, visited the red-light area of [[Sonagachi]] for a HIV intervention research study. A [[peer education]] team was formed from amongst the sex workers and provided training. Shortly after, studies revealed larger issues amongst sex workers, such as sex workers rights, education of their children, access to financial services and handling of harassment by police and local thugs, along with promoting the use of condoms. Thus in 1995 he formed 'Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee' (DMSC) with 12 sex workers as stakeholders, by 2012 DMSC had a membership of 65,000 from 48 branches across the state of West Bengal, and continues to be managed by sex workers, their children and government officials as its board members, and has not just female sex workers as its members but also male and [[transgender]] sex workers.<ref name=mint2012/><ref name=history>{{Cite web |url=http://www.durbar.org/html/history.asp |title=History of Durbar |access-date=25 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120219160200/http://www.durbar.org/html/history.asp |archive-date=19 February 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=ba>[[#Ba|Bagchi, p. 124]]</ref>

Since its inception, it has been working as an [[advocacy group]] for sex workers and over the years, it has worked towards sensitizing general public about rights of sex workers, often initiating debate and discussion in public media and press, besides advocating abolition of 'The Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956' (PITA), and legalisation of sex work.<ref name=ba/> Many sex workers now have voters identity cards, health insurance and even bank accounts. In 1995, its [[consumer cooperative]] society and [[micro-credit]] programme, 'Usha' (literally meaning light), ensured that the [[Government of West Bengal]] altered the state's cooperative law to register it as a sex workers [[cooperative]], instead of a 'housewives cooperative' under the prevalent state laws. By 2006–2007, small saving of its 5,000 members lead to an annual turnover to {{INRConvert| 9.75|c}}, with loan of {{INRConvert| 2.12|c}} distributed amongst its members, which also helped break the monopoly of local moneylenders, who would charge interest rates of up to 300%.<ref name=mint2012/> The DMSC hosted India's first national convention of sex workers on 14 November 1997 in Kolkata, titled 'Sex Work is Real Work: We Demand Workers Rights'.<ref>[http://www.nswp.org/rights/dmsc/indiaconf.html Sex work is real work: We demand workers rights] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061212230342/http://www.nswp.org/rights/dmsc/indiaconf.html |date=12 December 2006 }}, announcement of the 1997 sex worker convention</ref>

DMSC runs 17 non-formal schools for children of sex workers, and two hostels, one at [[Ultadanga]] and the other at [[Baruipur]]. Its cultural wing, 'Komol Gandhar', teaches dance, drama, mime and music to children, who invited regularly for paid shows.

==HIV/AIDS project==

The Durbar runs the STD/HIV Intervention Programme (commonly known as the [[Sonagachi|Sonagachi Project]]) since 1999. The ownership and management of the Sonagachi Project was taken over by DMSC from the All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health, a central government public health training and research institute based in [[Kolkata]], which had initiated the programme in 1992.<ref>[http://www.ngoconnect.org/february2004issue6.htm The Songachi project is 12!] NGO Connect The Shakti Newsletter Issue 18. Jan / Feb 2004</ref> After gaining control of the STD/HIV Intervention Programme in 1999, DMSC began replicating the Sonagachi model in other [[Red-light district|red light area]]s in West Bengal.<ref>{{cite news |title=DEAD ZONES: Fighting Back in India.; Calcutta's Prostitutes Lead the Fight on AIDS|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/01/04/world/dead-zones-fighting-back-in-india-calcutta-s-prostitutes-lead-the-fight-on-aids.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=4 January 1999 }}</ref> DMSC also implements STD/HIV intervention Programme among street-based sex workers and their clients, covering a population of over 20,000 sex workers and migrant labourers. DMSC currently implements and runs STD/HIV intervention programmes in 49 sex work sites in West Bengal.

The approach of Durbar's programme is based on the ''3 Rs'' - Respect, Reliance and Recognition. Respect towards sex workers, Reliance on the knowledge and wisdom of the community of sex workers and, Recognition of sex work as an occupation, for protecting their occupational and human rights.

Durbar is active in building broader alliances to promote HIV prevention, care and support for HIV infected and affected individuals and families both at the national and regional levels.

The book ''[[Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide]]'' reports investigations revealing, who tried to provide, contrary to stated policy, the DMSC allows sex slavery, trafficking, and underage girls in its brothels.<ref>Kristof, Nicholas D.; Sheryl WuDunn. 2009. [[Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide]]</ref>

==See also==
* [[Prostitution in Kolkata]]
* [[World Charter for Prostitutes' Rights]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
* {{cite book |title=The Changing Status of Women in West Bengal, 1970-2000: the challenge ahead|author=Jasodhara Bagchi|author2=Sarmistha Dutta Gupta |publisher=SAGE|year=2005|isbn=978-0-7619-3242-0 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KYYW8Un5zFAC&q=Durbar+Mahila+Samanwaya+Committee&pg=PA124 |ref= Ba}}

==External links==
* [http://www.durbar.org/ Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee Website]
* [http://antitrafficking-durbar.org/ Anti-Trafficking Website of Durbar]
* [https://gcal.academia.edu/FloraCornish/Papers/85190/The-necessary-contradictions-of--community-led--health-promotion--A-case-study-of-HIV-prevention-in-an-Indian-red-light-district/ Cornish & Ghosh 2007 The necessary contradictions of community-led health promotion: A case study of HIV prevention in an Indian red light district. Social Science & Medicine, 64, 596-507]
* [[Wikibooks:Development Cooperation Handbook/Stories/Living with Dignity|Living with dignity]]: an international development cooperation story for the Wikibook [[File:Wikibooks-logo.svg|14px|Wikibooks]] [[Wikibooks:Development Cooperation Handbook|Development Cooperation Handbook]].

{{Prostitution in India}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1995 establishments in West Bengal]]
[[Category:Sex worker organisations in India]]
[[Category:Medical and health organisations based in India]]
[[Category:Organisations based in Kolkata]]
[[Category:Sexuality in India]]
[[Category:Organizations established in 1995]]
[[Category:HIV/AIDS prevention organizations]]
[[Category:Organizations that combat human trafficking]]
[[Category:HIV/AIDS in India]]
[[Category:Prostitution in India]]
[[Category:Women's rights organizations]]
[[Category:Human trafficking in India]]
[[Category:Articles containing video clips]]

Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee - Revision history

>Liverpoolpics at 14:30, 13 June 2021