TITLE:
Disease, Death and Dhandha: Gharwali’s Perspectives on the Impact of AIDS on Devadasi System and the Sex Work in South India
AUTHORS:
Kaveri Gurav, James Blanchard
KEYWORDS:
India; Devadasi System; Gharwali; Sex Work; HIV/AIDS
JOURNAL NAME:
World Journal of AIDS,
Vol.3 No.1,
March
29,
2013
ABSTRACT: Traditional Devadasi system based sex work (dhandha) is practiced inIndia. The communities that
practice this system are affected severely by AIDS epidemic. Through this paper
we present the views of gharwalis (brothel
madams) regarding the impact of AIDS
on the traditional system (Devadasi system) of initiating girls as sex workers (Devadasis) and on the practice of sex work (dhandha) associated with that
system. Qualitative
in-depth interviews were conducted with twelve gharwalis as a follow-up of a cohort study, which investigated the patterns and
determinants of sex worker migration from northern Karnataka to southern
Maharashtra, in India. According to gharwalis,
the disease (AIDS) consequences; death, fear and stigma affected dhandha operations, changed the attitude
of the Devadasi community against the
practice of dhandha and the Devadasi system, besides, influenced the
community to take actions to stop the practice of dhandha and the Devadasi system.
The findings suggest that the interplay between the disease consequences and
the community’s response to those consequences contribute to transition dhandha and the Devadasi system. We
discuss our findings, describe the transition and the consequent risk enhancing
conditions. Finally, highlight
the need to address these conditions to reduce Devadasis risk and vulnerability to HIV infection.