Activist Akkai Padmashali pens a new book on the lives of sex workers

Bengaluru: The book– ‘Yaaru Suleyaru’, authored by social rights activist Akkai Padmashali was released in the city on Thursday. The book is based on real life incidents in the lives of sex workers. It is a collective of 18 stories from the lives of 18 sex workers– a few women and a few transgenders.

Akkai Padmashali said that the book aims to bring to the forefront the discussion about sex work and a need to treat it like any other profession. “The sex workers do it with pride and dignity. Accepting sex work as a profession is important and there needs to be a social discussion on this,” she said.

The book also talks about the violence the workers' face during their work and how important it is to sensitise people about it and a need to condemn such violence. The book launch was attended by many dignitaries including Dr K Shareefa, social thinker and eminent writer, Anita Kumari, sex workers' rights activist, and Sowmya A, activist for the rights of gender and sexual minorities.