Activities
Sramajibi Mahila Sangha (SMS)
Sramajibi Mahila Sangha’s Community-Led Anti-Trafficking Initiative
Sramajibi Mahila Sangha (SMS) adopts a sex worker-led, community-driven model to combat trafficking and protect the rights of those engaged in sex work. At the heart of this initiative are Self-Regulatory Boards (SRBs), a pioneering approach developed to identify and prevent entry of trafficked and underage individuals into the sex trade. These Boards are comprising of sex workers, survivors, doctors, legal professionals, and civil society members—ensure that every new entrant is fairly assessed in a non-coercive, rights-based process.
Each SRB conducts age verification and counseling, ensuring that those who are underage or coerced are separated, supported, and offered safe reintegration options, either with families or through rehabilitation programs. The SRBs function transparently, with thorough documentation and consensus-based decision-making.
Unlike conventional police-led rescue operations that often stigmatize sex workers, the SMS model ensures dignity, confidentiality, and participation of the community at every step. Vocational training, residential education, and support for survivors and children are integral to this approach.
Over time, SMS’s SRBs have significantly reduced the number of trafficked and underage girls in red-light areas under its purview. This model, rooted in empowerment and self-governance, serves as a testament to the power of collective leadership in protecting human rights and dismantling exploitative practices, while distinguishing clearly between voluntary sex work and trafficking.
Health and Well-being:
Sramajibi Mahila Sangha (SMS) prioritizes the health and well-being of the sex worker community through a holistic approach. One of its core programs is the Targeted Intervention (TI) initiative in Jalpaiguri, aimed at preventing HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections among sex workers. The program ensures access to essential healthcare services, regular health check-ups, STI screening and treatment, and referrals to government health facilities. SMS promotes awareness on HIV prevention, condom negotiation, and safe sex practices through peer educators—sex workers trained to support their peers.
Recognizing the importance of mental health and aging within the community, SMS also extends support to elderly sex workers through community outreach and healthcare linkages. Elder members are often marginalized within the red-light areas, and SMS actively ensures their dignity, safety, and access to treatment. The organization addresses both preventive and curative aspects of health, with a strong focus on community ownership and participation. Health is not viewed in isolation but as a foundation for empowerment, enabling sex workers to claim their rights and exercise agency. Through these initiatives, SMS continues to affirm that every individual—regardless of profession—deserves respectful, stigma-free, and equitable access to healthcare.
Legal Aid and Crisis Management
Sramajibi Mahila Sangha offers vital legal aid and crisis management support to address the systemic injustices and violence faced by sex workers. Working in collaboration with legal professionals, human rights defenders, and civil society organizations, SMS ensures timely legal redress for sex workers who experience violence, coercion, wrongful arrest, or eviction. Crisis response teams, often led by community members, are trained to respond swiftly to incidents at the field level, providing immediate support and connecting individuals with legal counsel. Legal empowerment workshops are oftenconducted to educate sex workers about their constitutional rights, laws relevant to sex work, and available protections under national and international frameworks.
SMS also mediates with police, local authorities, and landlords to resolve disputes and prevent harassment, emphasizing dialogue over confrontation. SMS challenges the criminalization and social stigmatization of sex work by advocating for legal reforms and promoting justice rooted in dignity and equity. Through strategic alliances and sustained advocacy, SMS upholds the human rights of sex workers and builds collective strength to combat legal invisibility and impunity. This initiative fosters a culture of accountability and resistance, enabling sex workers to stand against exploitation and demand justice as equal citizens.
Education and Children’s Rights
Sramajibi Mahila Sangha believes that the future of the community lies in the hands of its children. To support their well-being and educational growth, SMS operates evening education centres within red-light areas, providing a safe, inclusive, and nurturing environment for children of sex workers. These centres are active during the evenings—when mothers are often engaged in their profession—and serve as a haven for learning, play, and emotional care.
Trained educators, many from the community itself, offer academic support aligned with formal school curricula, while also fostering creativity, life skills, and personal confidence. Beyond academic learning, these centres also function as protective spaces where children are safeguarded from exploitation, abuse, and early entry into labor or sex work. SMS also facilitates enrollment in mainstream schools, access to government scholarships, and community-based campaigns to sensitize families on the importance of education. Moreover, the organization collaborates with child protection systems to uphold the rights of every child to safety, education, and holistic development. Through these efforts, SMS ensures that children are not defined by the stigmas attached to their mothers’ profession, but are empowered to pursue their dreams with dignity and opportunity.
Capacity Building and Leadership Training
Empowering sex workers to lead their own struggles is at the core of Sramajibi Mahila Sangha’s mission. Through targeted capacity-building programs and leadership development workshops, SMS fosters self-confidence, strategic thinking, and public engagement skills among community members. These programs equip sex workers to engage with key stakeholders—such as government officials, media representatives, researchers, and civil society—with clarity, strength, and dignity.
Leadership trainings focus on communication, negotiation, legal awareness, crisis management, and rights-based advocacy. By developing the potential of grassroots leaders, SMS promotes the idea that those most affected by stigma and marginalization are best positioned to drive meaningful change. Trained leaders actively participate in public forums, policy discussions, and community interventions, representing the collective voice of sex workers. The organization also ensures intergenerational leadership development by mentoring younger members and encouraging their involvement in decision-making spaces. This participatory model has strengthened the internal governance of SMS and enhanced its credibility in external engagements.
Public Relation and Networking
Network and alliance-building are fundamental pillars of Sramajibi Mahila Sangha’s strategy to recognize sex work as legitimate labour and uphold sex workers’ human rights. SMS actively engages with policy-makers, government bodies, civil society networks, feminist groups, and international platforms to influence discourse and legislative reform. Through consistent advocacy, SMS challenges the criminalization, stigma, and moral policing faced by sex workers, and promotes a rights-based framework that affirms their autonomy and dignity.
SMS is a vocal advocate for the decriminalization of sex work, inclusion in labour rights protections, and access to social welfare schemes. SMS also participates in regional and global platforms to share community-led models and draw attention to the lived realities of sex workers. Strategic partnerships and coalitions strengthen the organization’s ability to push for systemic changes, from municipal policies to national-level dialogues. Media engagement is also a key area of advocacy, with SMS facilitating training and sensitization sessions for journalists to promote responsible and respectful reporting on sex work.
Sramajibi Mahila Sangha (SMS) is a pioneering community-based organization led by sex workers, working since 1994 in Kolkata.
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Office Address
5 No, Sethbagan Lane, Kolkata-700006, India & 44 No, Balaram Dey Street, Kolkata- 700006, India
Email Address
sramajibimahila@gmail.com
Office Number
+918336071002 And +918336071001