With the US imposing restrictions on overseas sex workers on being part of the International AIDS Conference in Washington from Sunday, a week-long meeting is planned to be held in Kolkata to enable them to be a part of the conference via video conferencing.
The International AIDS Conference (IAC) is a bi-annual congregation of global organizations and agencies engaged in controlling AIDS. The conference is scheduled to be held on July 22-27.
IAC, held for the past 25 years in the US has been an effective three way dialogue between the scientists/planners, the people living with HIV and the sex workers.
However, with the US travel restrictions, the organizers have decided to hold the first ever Global Hub of the International AIDS Conference at Kolkata, to be attended by 550 representatives of sex workers from across the globe and India.
Nailed as the sex workers "Freedom Festival", its central theme is nothing but the "seven freedoms" that the sex workers are entitled to such as freedom of movement and to migrate; access to quality health services; freedom to work and choose occupation; associate and unionise; to be protected by the law; freedom from abuse and violence; and from stigma and discrimination.
The conference in Kolkata will facilitate the sharing of experiences and evaluation, and discuss their issues and priorities. It will also focus to generate new directions and dimensions needed for regional and global AIDS control programs.
News reported by AR for News Vision online news blog
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