Its celebration time for members of Ashodaya Samiti, a sex workers collective in southern city of Mysuru. They are proud and happy that they have been mentioned in a UNAIDS document released in Geneva two days back as “a Ray of Hope in” care and support by the community for the community.”
The Ashodya (Ray of Hope}Samiti in Mysuru with over 12,000 members is a street based sex workers collective has been documented in this global document of the UNAIDS called Right to Health as a model in HIV services, from prevention and treatment to care and support by the community and for the community.
“Ashodaya Samiti is an example of how community mobilisation and community ownership can enable thousands of sex workers to access and use health and development services,” said in the global document which talks about Global Health as a basic human rights.
This document of UNAIDS prior to World AIDS day in December based on the theme Right to Health has been released to the global audience . Ashodaya Samiti has been mentioned in this global document for its role in bringing about a change empowering the community. The document talks about sustainable health and efforts of community in making this possible to fight stigma and discrimination and also to fight HIV.
Bhagyalakshmi a sex worker and CEO of Ashodaya Samiti expressed happiness and said “ community to community understanding in dealing with our struggles has changed the dynamics of health care. This global document of UNAIDS is acceptance of our struggle and the way to take it forward.” “ we are proud to be part of this churning. We are proud that they have taken us from India and Mysuru as a global model,” she added.
Ashodaya also runs a learning academy first of its kind learning site on HIV in the Asia and Pacific run entirely by sex workers. The academy supports sex workers to acquire new skills and teach them ways to assert control over their lives.
Pratima a sex worker and finance director of Ashodaya feels proud about their achievement. She finds this a global recognition and strongly believes that community involvement and empowerment leads to find a way forward in accessing health as a right.
Dr Sundar Sundararaman who is policy analyst on HIV feels this is a global recognition of community to community understanding of health care as a right. He says health is a fundamental right and must be people centric. In this context he credits the UNAIDS document on Ashodaya Samiti as Global recognition of the effort of the community.”