I recently watched a movie called Gangubai Kathiawadi staring actress Alia Bhatt based on a true story. It was the extraordinary story of Gangubai, a matriarch, a prostitute, an Indian social activist, and the chief of the brothel in Kathiawadi. Gangubai was known for fighting rights for more than 3,000 sex workers. She was named Ganga, since birth and had a dream to be a big star in the film industry until one day, she ran away with her suitor Ramnik Lal who promised to fulfil these dreams and unknowingly she was sold into prostitution by him. Since working as a prostitute, she changed her name to Gangubai and everyone used to respectfully call her Gangubai Ganga Maa (mother). Many women in India have either been coerced or abducted and then sold into prostitution, but sadly they were unable to go back home to their families because they were tainted, and because they carried the shame of being a prostitute. These brothels were establishments dating back to colonial times and since Gangubai was referred to as the Madam of Kamathipura and was the most influential pimp in the city, her strong connections led to justice for the sex workers between 1947 – 64. It was during that time, allegedly she met Jawaharlal Nehru to discuss the dilemma of sex workers and improve their living conditions. However, but these women still face prejudices today.
Sex workers are considered as ‘women of the night’, facing stigma and ostracization during the day. I was applauding Gangubai during the film for her speech given at a rally where she spoke from her heart and engaged the audience:
“All of you, sitting here must have an occupation or business? Someone here is probably a doctor, engineer or teacher? A qualified person sells his intelligence, and we sell our bodies. We work bloody hard! What is wrong with that. Why do they object only to our establishments? Why is our profession seen as immoral? Men from our neighbourhood come to ours and yet our neighbourhood is scandalous. Why? Do you know what the oldest profession in the world is? Prostitution! Without us, even heaven is incomplete. You must give us some respect, don’t you think? To tell you the truth, we have more dignity than you. Ask me how? You lose your dignity once and it is gone forever. We sell our dignity every night. Yet, it does not seem to run out. No matter whoever turns up at our doorstep, we don’t judge them, it is our principle! We don’t ask your religion or caste, dark skinned or light skinned, rich or poor, everyone pays the same rate. When we don’t discriminate among people, then why do you discriminate against us? Why are we excluded from your society? The minister who was preaching about unity and equality…, visit us some time, we practice what we preach! It is not that we don’t matter to people, we do, just like politicians, we are their votes; to policemen, we are currency notes, to men we are winter coats, and to women, you all know who we are…..We have fire in us and yet bloom like a rose. We satisfy the lust of men and protect the integrity of women. Just imagine, if there was no Kamathipura, this city would turn into a jungle, women will be raped, families will fall apart, relationships will end, and our glorious Indian culture will turn to dust. And you will be responsible for this! We guard not only our dignity, but also the dignity of society, that’s why I am proud of being a prostitute just as you are of being a doctor or a teacher. You are applauding to my speech, but it’s funny that you’re still hell bent on making us homeless. And if that is not enough, you want to throw our children out of school too. I want to ask you all something truthfully – Don’t our children have the right to education? Aren’t our children like your children, the future of India? [They all agree with her] Then it’s decided that the women of Kamathipura will not be homeless, and our children will get the right education. And we will get our right to live in society with dignity!
There we have it, a well said speech reflecting on inclusion, diversity, and equality. The above is based in India, but elsewhere in the world sex workers are driven by a complex intersection of social and economic factors in which poverty, unemployment and inequality are key drivers too. We need to stop judging them and start treating them with respect, kindness and I only hope they receive the same rights as us!