"OnlyFans detected, opinion rejected” is a fun little quip men came up with to instantly dehumanise sex workers. It reduces them to a punchline, implying that anyone who engages in sex work, online or otherwise, relinquishes their right to be taken seriously. But this instinct to strip sex workers of their voice, dignity, and complexity is not new.
Long before the internet and subscription-based content, women in red-light districts were treated with the same disregard. Their lives were not examined with any real interest, unless it was to condemn them. The blame for sex work rarely lands on the systems that enforce it. It is almost always placed squarely on the shoulders of the women themselves.
The question of agency in sex work is complicated. It is not easy to talk about, because it touches upon power, survival, and the limits of choice. But perhaps even in situations that appear disempowering, women are still trying, often in small, difficult ways, to reclaim control over lives that have given them very little to work with.
This is precisely why the story of the Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee (DMSC) matters. Founded in 1995 in Kolkata’s Sonagachi district, DMSC emerged as a response; a movement led by sex workers themselves, born from a refusal to be spoken for. Over the last thirty years, it has grown into one of the most significant examples of community-led organising in India, building real and lasting change through healthcare, education, financial independence, and political advocacy.
Their beginning was radical in its simplicity: let sex workers speak for themselves. At a time when HIV/AIDS was ravaging their communities and the state’s response was either neglect or moral policing, DMSC built its own peer-led healthcare system. In the years since, they’ve slashed HIV infection rates by 95%, introduced consistent condom use at 95%, and set up over 15 community-run health clinics.
The economic vulnerability of sex workers, exacerbated by stigma and lack of access to credit, has always been weaponised against them. So DMSC built Asia’s first sex worker-run cooperative bank, loaning crores to its members. As safety net and a launchpad, it has fueled hundreds of member-owned businesses, giving workers a chance to diversify incomes, and most importantly, reclaim control.
Still, DMSC’s work doesn’t just focus on the adults in the room. They saw early on how generational cycles of marginalisation entrap sex workers’ children. So they started informal schools that serve over 3,000 kids. With a 95% school completion rate and 200+ children pursuing higher education, they’ve ensured that future generations don’t inherit the same stigma.
They’ve also turned to culture to reclaim their place in public life. Their performing arts collective, Komol Gandhar - A Sociocultural Society, uses dance, music, and theatre to confront shame, tell stories, and demand visibility in spaces that have historically erased them. Because the battle isn’t just for safety and money. It’s also for joy, expression, and representation.
There are few institutions in India that can claim the kind of community transformation DMSC has achieved. Sonagachi, once synonymous with violence and vice, is now a self-governed neighbourhood with community-led sanitation, dispute resolution, and safety systems. Because of this structure and solidarity, police brutality incidents in the area have dropped by 90%.
And perhaps most radical shift of all, DMSC is challenging the very laws that criminalise their existence. The organisation is pushing for the decriminalisation of sex work, demanding that their labour be recognised as work, and their rights as human rights.
To mark 30 years of the organization, DMSC is hosting The 30 Years Mela at Rabindra Kanan, Kolkata, from July 12 to 15. The event will feature panel discussions on sex work, media, and health, along with interactive debates, dance performances, a Sonagachi walk, fashion shows, food stalls, and games. The mela organized with the help of Grinning Tree, will center the voices and aspirations of sex workers themselves, creating a space where joy and justice can coexist.
DMSC is a case study in what happens when marginalised communities aren’t told what to do, but are instead trusted to lead. For 30 years, they've built a model that has inspired policy reform, influenced government programs, trained NGOs across the country, and even earned global recognition at the UN. But what matters most is that they did it themselves.
As India grapples with questions around urban inequality, gender justice, health access, and development, DMSC is proof that change comes from within the community; that sex workers can be ideal organisers, leaders, business owners, mothers and artists, and that their fight is not for pity, but parity.
Follow DMSC's work via their website.
Here's more from Homegrown:
Watch A Web Series About A Bisexual, Indian-American Insomniac's Journey Into Sex Work
Legalization Of Sex Work: Why The Supreme Court's Landmark Judgement Is Important For The Community
A Long Time Coming: Is The Lack Of Homegrown Porn Ruining Our Perception Of Sex?