West Bengal government seeks support of DMSC for cervical cancer vaccination for sex workers in Sonagachi

West Bengal Health Minister Sharadwat Mukherjee on Sunday, July 12, 2026, sought support from the Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee (DMSC) to provide cervical cancer vaccine to sex workers in Kolkata’s Sonagachi.

Speaking at an event on the occasion of DMSC’s 31st birth anniversary, Mr. Mukherjee said, “DMSC has been working to establish the rights of sex workers for a long time. They have spread awareness and also saved these women from various sexually transmitted diseases. Sex workers are the most vulnerable group to cervical cancer. We need to prevent it. Department of Health and Family Welfare is ready to provide this vaccine to sex workers. We need some support from DMSC.”

I’m reporting from the red light area

Mr. Mukherjee asked DMSC activists to help the government in obtaining details of sex workers residing in Sonagachi so that HPV vaccines can be delivered to them in an organized manner.

The central government, in this year’s budget, announced that it will provide free Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines to all 14-year-old girls.

“It should be immediately compulsory for all girls between 14 and 15 years of age in this district. This is free for them. The state government will provide this to other women as well,” Mr. Mukherjee said.

The minister also emphasized the need to install free condom vending machines in Sonagachi. He asked sex workers not to allow customers without condoms. “He assured that the government will provide these machines soon after receiving a proposal from DMSC regarding the demands and other details,” he added.

Later, at the event, he also honored 25 children from the community who successfully passed the secondary and higher secondary examination this year. A one-time fee was also provided to elderly sex workers.

Speaking ahead of the celebration, Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee Secretary Bishakha Laskar said: “DMSC’s 31st Birth Anniversary is a celebration of the unity of thousands of sex workers who have built one of the world’s most significant community-led movements. It is an opportunity to honor our shared history, recognize the contributions of our elders, celebrate the achievements of our younger generation and renew our commitment to equality and justice. We warmly invite everyone to join us in this celebration and stand with our Movement.”

Sabita Saha, a sex worker from Diamond Harbour, South 24 Parganas, said: “Before I became a part of the Durbar, I never imagined that I could speak confidently about our lives and rights in front of government officials, doctors or other stakeholders. I found my voice through the meetings, trainings and collective support of the Durbar. Today, I can speak with confidence about the issues affecting our community because the Durbar believed in me before I believed in myself.”

UNDP Senior Adviser Mona Mishra also appreciated DMSC’s effort to bring India the most meaningful change in the life of the sex workers community with three decades of courage, collective action and constitutional imagination.

“This transformed the conversation from pity and charity to rights, from rescue to dignity, and from speaking on behalf of sex workers to listening to sex workers. I congratulate every member of the Durbar for building one of the world’s most remarkable community-led movements,” she said.

Meanwhile, Rotary Club of Kolkata has also announced that it will launch a free HPV vaccination program for all female sex workers and their children from next week.