Bangalore: The sex workers of Kerala, along with their counterparts from other parts of India are holding a conference in March 2003 in Thiruvananthapuram, according to an official press release.

The first announcement of the conference was for the month of January, but the dates have been postponed to March 1, 2 and 3. The conference will also celebrate 'Sex Worker's Day', which falls on March 3, the release said.

The conference is mainly aimed to recapture the lost tradition of sex work, which in the olden times was a part and parcel of all art forms. The three days of the conference will witness singing, acting and dancing in one of the venue of the conference. Artists from all over India will perform, according to the release.

The conference also aims to press for the recognition of sex work as a paid service. Sex workers, both male and female, cater to real needs of people and this should be recognised by the society, which avail this service, the release said.

At present, because of archaic patriarchal laws, sex work remains a criminal activity. The atmosphere in which the sex workers have to work is stifling and depressing. Violence generated by the non-acceptance is so great that many of them get killed and are brutalized each year. The workers will fight in unison to change these laws, the release said.

This conference also aims to differentiate sex work from trafficking. "Trafficking for any reason is an illegal activity, which we also abhor. But the confusion and perception that all sex work is an act of trafficking is misleading.

"We have to recognise the agency of this act and stop depicting us as mere victims. We are not victims to be saved from our profession. We should have the opportunity to develop skills and perform other jobs also. Our rights should not be denied on the basis of our sexual status. Violence and coercion should be erased from our profession, which we experience as an occupational hazard. We demand decriminalisation of sex work, right to livelihood, right to self-determination and workers' rights instead of jumbling around unrealistic rehabilitation programmes," the release stated. The conference will also address the politics of aid in the guise to prevent AIDS. Instead of addressing the high-risk behaviour of different sections of the society, the projects brackets the high-risk group. The agency of male clients in spreading the disease gets hidden because of this misconception. The projects fail in its aim and contribute further stigmatisation of sex workers and other marginalised groups. Again, the money coming under the projects are spent top heavy, which means the beneficiaries are always the officials who run it, the release said.