Representational view of Sonagachi
| Photo Credit: Somnath Basak
West Bengal Health Minister Sharadwat Mukherjee, on Sunday (July 12, 2026), sought support from the Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee (DMSC) for providing cervical cancer vaccination to the sex workers in Kolkata’s Sonagachi.
“DMSC has long been working to establish the rights of sex workers. They have spread awareness and also saved these women from various sexually transmitted diseases. Sex workers are most vulnerable to cervical cancer. We need to prevent it. The Health and Family Welfare Department is ready to provide this vaccine to the sex workers. We need some support from DMSC,” said Mr. Mukherjee while addressing an event on the occasion of DMSC’s 31st birth anniversary.
Reporting from a red light area
Mr. Mukherjee asked the DMSC activists to help the government to get details of the sex workers residing in Sonagachi so that the HPV vaccines can be made available to them in an organised way.
The Central government, in their budget this year, has declared to provide free Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccinations to all 14-year-old girls.
“It should be must for all the 14 to 15 years old girls in this area immediately. It is free for them. The state government will also provide it to the other women,” said Mr. Mukherjee.
The minister also stressed the necessity of setting up free condom vending machines at Sonagachi. He asked the sex workers not to allow any client without condoms. He assured that the government will provide these machines soon they get a proposal on the demands and other details from DMSC,” he added.
Later, at the event, he also honoured the 25 children from the community who have successfully passed the secondary and higher secondary examination this year. A one-time honorarium was also provided to the elderly sex workers.
Speaking ahead of the celebration, Bishakha Laskar, Secretary of Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee, said, “This 31st Birth Anniversary of DMSC is a celebration of the unity of thousands of sex workers who have built one of the world’s most significant community-led movements. It is an opportunity to honour our shared history, recognise the contributions of our elders, celebrate the achievements of our younger generation and renew our commitment to equality and justice. We warmly invite everyone to join us in this celebration and stand in with our movement.”
Sabita Saha, a sex worker from Diamond Harbour, South 24 Parganas, said, “Before I became part of Durbar, I never imagined that I could confidently speak about our lives and our rights in front of government officials, doctors or other stakeholders. It was through Durbar’s meetings, training and collective support that I found my voice. Today, I can speak with confidence about the issues that affect our community because Durbar believed in me before I believed in myself.”
Mona Mishra, the Senior Advisor of UNDP, also appreciated DMSC’s effort for showing India the most meaningful change in the lives of the sex workers’ community with three decades of courage, collective action and constitutional imagination.
“It has transformed the conversation from one of pity and charity to one of rights, from rescue to dignity, and from speaking for sex workers to listening to sex workers. I congratulate every member of Durbar for building one of the world’s most remarkable community-led movements,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Rotary Club of Calcutta has also declared to launch a free HPV vaccination programme for all the women sex workers and their children from next week.
Published – July 13, 2026 04:40 am IST
