The issue of HIV/AIDS has never been able to get any uproar in our Pakistani society due to taboo, rotten customs and callous behaviours of the feudal. It is also one of the biggest challenges for the activists to help the young and female groups to protect themselves from the outbreak of this incurable disease. In Sindh province, Pakistan media has reported few cases of HIV/AIDS due to intervention of some national and international organizations. But still a lot has to be done on this ground to bring awareness to the communities who are at the risk of being the victim of the deadly pandemic either directly or indirectly.  

Actionaid, Pakistan, Karachi office, as part of Global Aids week (May-21-28) launched a campaign against HIV/AIDS, to pressure the government to take more initiatives to fight against the epidemic. One of the objectives of such campaign is also to try and reduce the number of children born with HIV/AIDS in Pakistan. More information on prevention and mother to child transmission is required in the country as the sex workers, barbers, truck drivers and the third sex communities are not aware of the deadly virus. The basic idea of implementing such campaign was to make these targeted groups aware of the virus so that information can be transferred to other vulnerable groups through peers.

The purpose behind the launch of such campaign in Mirpurkhas, Sindh was to involve key players of the society into awareness raising spells as to protect the youth of the country. The number of unregistered HIV/AIDS patients in the country are more than 80,000. According to some reports 2,300 are already HIV-positive. There are fears that the nations 15-to-20-year-olds will die from the disease if nothing is done.  According to Pakistani virologists, women account around 13 per cent of the total HIV/AIDS population in Pakistan.

Actionaid, Pakistan, Karachi with its local partner Roshan Samaj Development Organization took initiative with strong commitment into the premises of Mirpurkhas to help the vulnerable communities who are ignored by the society since decades. But they play a major role in transmission of the deadly disease. A week long activity included workshops with each target group, dissemination of printed material regarding HIV/AIDS and advocacy regarding the use of contraceptives.

Thirty sex-workers, thirty five truck drivers, forty barbers and around twenty five, third sex community people of Mirpurkhas were amongst the target group, with whom spells of awareness to fight HIV/AIDS were done. This also involved educating them of importance of taking an HIV test, and ensuring that there is no harm to do so.  If they test positive, then it is needed to return to the clinic to receive care and drugs at the right time.

The most interactive session was with the sex-workers of Mirpurkhas, who actively participated in the event. This was also the first time when any organization entered into their area as to educate them. The young girls of red-light area Mirpurkhas, from as early as eight years old, sell their bodies in order to survive. These vulnerable girls are exposed not just to fatal diseases like HIV, but physical violence and every danger imaginable.

So can these young girls be protected? HIV/AIDS awareness program for these girls and women was conducted on May 29, 2007 under the banner of ActionAid in collaboration with RSDO.

While an interaction session they spoke about their life and ignorance about the deadly virus. One of the sex worker said, I am in this profession since nine years. It could have been even earlier, she remembers being 10 while she was pushed into this profession.
No-one knows how many child prostitutes are there in the area altogether, but more and more girls arrive each day from the impoverished rural areas, hoping for a better life. Their troubles begin as soon as they step off the bus and find there are people waiting for them.

When they come here there are what we call them brokers. They convince them that they will get them employment as a housemaid, and they usually take them to the madams, old ladies who used to be either prostitute. So finally they get involved in prostitution because they have to pay for their accommodation for the food, or for whatever they get.

The prostitutes of the area did not have any knowledge of HIV/AIDS and they have been practicing in this profession without any precautions. They are not even aware of the use of contraceptives. This was the first time when some organization entered into the area to give them basic tips to get themselves protected from the virus of HIV/AIDS. The representatives of Marie Stoopes and Asia foundation joined hands with Actionaid to be the part this unique activity.

Health education about HIV-AIDS and STDs is essential to these women and girls, because mostly these girls do not have a permanent customer and usually they don use condoms. There is also a dire need of safe home programs. If they e lucky, the girls may end up as hairdressers or cooks. But prostitution is not an easy profession to escape from, even with help. Ruby, who we heard at the program, has no home, just a bed she rents in a slum. She has a six-month-old baby, conceived through her commercial sex work.

These women also shared with us the horrifying experiences of police raids into their area. While answering to a question that do they insists for the use of condoms to their clients? They said, there are men who tell them 'Come on, theres no AIDS. And they can't insist because they get beaten, and need money.

The prostitutes got aware of the deadly epidemic through a two and half hour long session conducted by Fateh Marri and Hina Shahid of Actionaid, representatives of Asia foundation, RSDO and Marie Stoopes. This platform has given an opportunity to the prostitutes to come with their problems and share their woes.  This activity has also helped them to demand the use of condoms to their clients and also to protect themselves and their children from the deadly disease. The representatives of Asia foundation and Marie Stoopes have also got a break through into the area for a long-term intervention on health and education issues to help the most deprived community.

By: Hina Shahid.