title: Combating human trafficking in the sex trade: can sex workers do it better?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The dominant anti-trafficking paradigm conflates trafficking and sex work, denying evidence that most sex workers choose their profession and justifying police actions that disrupt communities, drive sex workers underground and increase vulnerability.
  
  
  METHODS
  We review an alternative response to combating human trafficking and child prostitution in the sex trade, the self-regulatory board (SRB) developed by Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee (DMSC, Sonagachi).
  
  
  RESULTS
  DMSC-led interventions to remove minors and unwilling women from sex work account for over 80% of successful 'rescues' reported in West Bengal. From 2009 through 2011, 2195 women and girls were screened by SRBs: 170 (7.7%) minors and 45 (2.1%) unwilling adult women were assisted and followed up. The remaining 90.2% received counselling, health care and the option to join savings schemes and other community programmes designed to reduce sex worker vulnerability. Between 1992 and 2011 the proportion of minors in sex work in Sonagachi declined from 25 to 2%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With its universal surveillance of sex workers entering the profession, attention to rapid and confidential intervention and case management, and primary prevention of trafficking-including microcredit and educational programmes for children of sex workers-the SRB approach stands as a new model of success in anti-trafficking work.
authors.affiliation: Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Smarajit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jana
authors.affiliation: Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Bharati
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dey
authors.affiliation: Community Health Services, University of Manitoba, Manitoba, Canada.
authors.forename: Sushena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Reza-Paul
authors.affiliation: Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Steen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D003254:Consumer Advocacy; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control; D064410:Human Trafficking / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D015980:Public Health Practice; D011477:Sex Work / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D060386:Sex Workers; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: population-based and preventative services; social determinants; work environment