Such a brilliant session featuring new research from SIAPP, @SaheliSangh @SangamaIndia adopting a life cycle approach to sex workers’ health and well being; Dr Vandana Prasad was a tour de force calling for participatory learning and action

@ThinkCREA @wadanatodo @aravindunni23 @Dafliwala We end the day with a vote of thanks by @MonaMishra2 to all our panelists, allies, partners & the AINSW members who made the consultation successful. We're excited to work together with our allies in various other social justice movements to fight for dignity & equality for all!

@ThinkCREA @wadanatodo @aravindunni23 @Dafliwala "When we talk about sex workers, why are we only talking about sex workers who are mothers, daughters? Them being revered only if they are a dutiful mother, daughter. Why don't we see them as people first, and their rights as human beings?", asks Manak Matiyani (@Dafliwala).

@ThinkCREA @wadanatodo @aravindunni23 @Dafliwala "Public education and awareness campaigns are very important. Sex workers should work on such campaigns that challenges the mindset that sex work = trafficking", says Dr Namala.

@ThinkCREA Joining us for our last panel are Jaya from Delhi Domestic Workers Union, Dr Annie Namala from @wadanatodo, @aravindunni23 from Global Social Service Society & @Dafliwala, expert on youth-led interventions to talk about rights movements that SWs can learn from & contribute to.

"The feminist movement and sex workers rights movement needs to come together and think if punitive laws are the best ways to stop violence and discrimination" says Aarushi Mahajan from @ThinkCREA.

@pkotiswaran @FPA_India @NazariyaQFRG @006ritikaroy @ThinkCREA "Media also needs to rethink how it covers news on sex workers. Usually, when mainstream media covers sex workers' issues, it's almost always about a raid. Journalists should talk to sex workers directly and listen to their lived experiences", adds @006ritikaroy.

@pkotiswaran @FPA_India @NazariyaQFRG @006ritikaroy @ThinkCREA "The feminist movement cannot speak about the exploitation, or for that matter, the rights of sex workers without talking to them, without including them in the feminist movement. Their voices can't be ignored", says Ritika (@006ritikaroy).

@pkotiswaran @FPA_India @NazariyaQFRG @006ritikaroy @ThinkCREA "We worked with sex workers directly to understand how the feminist movement can support the sex workers rights movement. Sex workers are indeed part of the feminist movement", says Professor Bijaylaxmi Nanda.

@pkotiswaran @FPA_India We are joined by Rituparna Borah from @NazariyaQFRG, Prof Bijalaxmi Nanda, Principal, Miranda House, @006ritikaroy from Feminism In India, and Aarushi Mahajan from @ThinkCREA for our third panel, "Does the feminist movement in India care about sex workers?"

@pkotiswaran @FPA_India "Doctors are not providing treatment for every day illness, forget abortion. If they hear we are sex workers, doctors automatically distance themselves from us", shares Yasmin, Board Member, AINSW.

@pkotiswaran @FPA_India "We shouldn't just talk about HIV/AIDS when we talk about sex workers' health. We want comprehensive healthcare, including sexual and reproductive health, primary care services, emergency care services etc", adds Dr Prasad.

@pkotiswaran @FPA_India "We don't want universal health coverage, we want universal health care. We want services not just insurance", says Dr Vandana Prasad.

@pkotiswaran We're talking about how universal health coverage campaigns can include sex workers with SV Sreeram, Advocate, Sashmita, Community Member, Odisha, Dr Vandana Prasad, from Public Health Resources Center, Nisha Jagadish from @FPA_India, and Yasmin, Board Member, AINSW.

Dr Prabha Kotiswaran (@pkotiswaran) asks if it's time to mobilize against criminal law. Dr Kotiswaran leaves us with some pertinent questions: Is it time to constitutionally challenge the ITP Act? How could we fundamentally rethink the ITP Act, as it currently exists?

@pkotiswaran Dr Swaminathan talks about the importance of conducting a survey of government protection homes. A past survey reveals that, in practice, corrective and protective homes have 'collapsed' - there's no clear distinction being made between them.

We start with our first panel for the day with Tripti Tandon, Sr Advocate, Kalpana Ben, Community Member from Gujarat, Dr K Swaminathan, South Indian AIDS Action Programme, Varsha More, Community Member Maharashtra, and @pkotiswaran from Kings College.

We're on the third day of our "Sisterhood and Solidarity with Sex Workers: One Year Since the Historic Supreme Court Ruling of 2022" National Consultation. Keep following this thread to get glimpses from our various sessions & panels today! ⬇️ @ThinkCREA @CFARngo @LCHIVWRI

"The harassment that sex workers face from the police or healthcare providers is relentless. It can really break the spirit of the sex workers. We must develop a code of conduct for these officials, so they treat sex workers with dignity", adds Akhila Sivadas from @CFARngo.

"While we keep saying 'No means no' and talk about how consent is necessary. But how much do we see that around us? Is a sex worker's consent respected? Are they facing violence for saying no?" says Naveen Gupta from DSLSA.