Esther is a changed person. The newly acquired self-confidence shows on her face Esther is a changed person. The newly acquired self-confidence shows on her face. Like her, scores of other sex workers across Chennai are equipping themselves with the art of self-defence. Organised by the Indian Community Welfare Organisation (ICWO) in association with the Indira Female Peers Educators Collective (IFPEC), this initiative has already completed its first phase of training. “We will soon be starting the second phase. As part of the first phase, three batches of 25 ladies each were taught karate. They were trained in indoor and outdoor combat for six hours each day,” says AJ Hariharan, founder secretary of ICWO. This unique movement started after ICWO did a study about issues plaguing sex workers in Chennai. They found rampant cases of violence among sex workers, who were abused and beaten up by their clients. “There were cases of forced anal sex; there were also instances when the clients refused to pay up. These ladies have now decided that enough is enough,” adds Hariharan. There are nearly 6,300 identified sex workers in Chennai who undergo this kind of trauma on an almost daily basis. Through this initiative, they wish to set an example and convey a message to their peers that they can put a stop to this violence.
