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A Conversation on Romance, Desire, Laughter and Rights in Sex Work
With Debolina Dutta, Dr. Reshma Bharadwaj, Kusum, Nalini Jameela and Prof. Shohini Ghosh
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CREA, in collaboration with
Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan, invite you to the second ‘Friday Show’,
A Conversation on Romance, Desire, Laughter and Rights in Sex Work with,
Debolina Dutta, Dr. Reshma Bharadwaj, Kusum, Nalini Jameela and
Prof. Shohini Ghosh. This conversation builds on the
#NotJustMyWork campaign by
CREA and the
All India Network of Sex Workers (AINSW) that draws attention to the myriad ways in which universal human rights apply to sex workers. Join us to broaden the discourse on sex work as we collectively explore the fun, romance, laughter and agency in the lives of sex workers.
© Debolina Dutta
Debolina Dutta is a feminist lawyer and researcher. In collaboration with sex worker activists from DMSC and VAMP and graphic designer, Anirban Ghosh, she is presently putting together an illustrated book of stories called
The Rule of Laughter. The book looks at how sex workers use fun and laughter in the everyday business of sex to challenge the criminalization of their lives and livelihood in India. Debolina co-directed the documentary film,
We Are Foot Soldiers on the collectivization of children of sex workers in Sonagachi, Kolkata. The film received the 3rd prize at Jeevika: Asia Livelihood Documentary Competition in 2012. Debolina is pursuing a PhD in law from Melbourne Law School. Her academic article,
Of Sex Workers, Festivals and Rights: A Story of an Affirmative Sabotage received the Audrey Rapoport Prize for Scholarship on Gender and Human Rights in 2017.
© Dr. Reshma Bharadwaj
Dr. Reshma Bharadwaj is presently assistant professor at Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kerala. She completed her PhD on
Ways of Being: Ontological Insurrections by Little Selves in Keralam from the department of social anthropology, Bergen University, Norway. She has edited a volume
Mithyakalkkappuram on Homosexuality in Kerala. Reshma, has a long association with Nalini and has translated Nalini's latest book,
The Romantic Encounters of a Sex Worker.
© Kusum
Kusum is the president of
All India Network of Sex Workers (AINSW). She is also the President of
Milan Mahila Sangathan working for rights and dignity of sex workers in Delhi. Kusum has over 12 years of professional experience and expertise at the policy and intervention level in programme planning and design, implementation and evaluation of developmental projects for the HIV Programme. She is an expert in community mobilisation. Kusum was awarded the Leadership Award in 2016 by HIV/AIDS India Alliance.
© Nalini Jameela
Nalini Jameela is a writer, activist and sex worker. Her autobiography
Njan Laingikathozhilali was published in Malayalam by DC Books and translated into English as
Autobiography of a Sex Worker. It was translated to French, Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Telugu, and Tamil as well. Her second book,
Romantic Encounters of a Sex Worker was published by Om Books International. Nalini Jameela started sex work at the age of 24. She was the president of Kerala Sex Workers Forum. She has directed two documentaries
Jwalamukhikal &
A peep in to the silence.
© Prof. Shohini Ghosh
Prof. Shohini Ghosh is the Sajjad Zaheer Professor at the AJK Mass Communication Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia, (Central University) New Delhi, India. She is the director of
Tales of the Nightfairies (2002), a film about the sex workers rights movement in Kolkata and the author of
Fire: A Queer Classic (2010) published by Arsenal Pulp Press, Canada and Orient Publishing in India. Ghosh has had a long association with the Sexuality, Gender and Rights Institute. Ghosh writes on contemporary media, speech and censorship, popular cinema, documentary films and issues of gender and sexuality.
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