From access to healthcare to a slow but steady reduction in stigma, sex workers in Kolkata’s Sonagachi, which is India’s largest red-light area, say they are finally being seen and heard.

Once faced with discrimination and barriers to medical care, many sex workers now report improved treatment at government hospitals and clinics. “Now we are not treated differently. I go for check-ups in government hospitals, stand in the queue like every other patient, and get treated without facing discrimination,” said Dolly, 34, a sex worker in Sonagachi.

A key factor behind this shift has been the work of the Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee (DMSC) — a collective run by and for sex workers that has completed 30 years of work across West Bengal. Durbar operates 51 free clinics for sex workers in the state, including health centres in Sonagachi that offer HIV and STD testing, low-cost medicines, and regular health check-ups in safe and non-judgmental spaces.

To mark its 30th anniversary, DMSC is hosting a community fair from July 12 to 15 at Rabindra Kanan Park in Kolkata, celebrating the lives and livelihood of sex workers. The event featured panel discussions with doctors from across the state, who spoke about the prevention and early detection of HIV, STDs, breast cancer and cervical cancer. Guidelines on menstrual hygiene and care during menstruation were also shared.

“Previously there was a taboo — people believed sex workers were not from our class, not like us,” said Dr Soma Dutta, a Kolkata-based gynaecologist. “But with more education, awareness programmes, and the consistent work by DMSC, even hospitals are more inclusive now.”

“DMSC has helped us gain confidence. Earlier, doctors and nurses refused to treat us because of our profession. Now, we are treated like any other human being,” said Nila, 45. “After all, we are human beings too, and we deserve respect.”