Outreach workers get no salary for months, forced to go back to sex trade

Prerna (name changed) returned to sex work around two months back. A transgendered sex worker, she had few options to eke out a living from.

She had high hopes for a new lease of life when she joined an NGO as an outreach worker last year.

But she was forced to go back to her old profession when she did not receive salaries for months.

The National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) along with the state government-run target intervention programmes in which high-risk groups like transgenders, men having sex with men (MSM), female sex workers and truck drivers are counselled on issues related to HIV/AIDS.

Outreach workers and peer educators address issues like promotion of condoms, how to diagnose sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and what are the precautions that can be taken to minimise chances of infection.

Each outreach worker or peer educator gets paid Rs 7,500 monthly. For over seven months now, the workers have not been paid.

This has made over 50 per cent of the workers to return to their respective marginalised communities.

“I cannot put my life on hold for months now. Even though there was hope to start afresh, I gave it up when we were not paid. Like me, several others have been pushed to sex work again because they too have no choice,” said Prerna.

There is a constant tussle between the NACO and the Delhi government over release of funds.

Every NGO engages 30 members from its organisation in the programme. “I am continuing even though I have not received my salaries. I have not been able to pay for my children’s education as the funds have not been released. Even though we are the people working at the grassroot level, the government is neglecting our basic rights,” said Ravi, who is working on an intervention programme for MSM groups.

The programme coordinators have not received their salaries either. “The worst hit are women and transgenders who have fewer options to return to,” said the programme coordinator.   

Civil society activists said this is a major setback in the health sector at a time when the state government has made announcements to boost infrastructure in the city.

“Most of the members are going back to sex work and begging because of lack of salaries. Even though the Chief Minister had said the health sector would be given priority, the committed members are being deprived of their livelihood,” said Anjan Joshi, an activist.