‘Bar girls ready to return home’

tags:India

Mumbai: I was brought to Mumbai a year ago and forcibly made to work in dance bars. In the beginning, for a month, I tried to run away but I did not succeed. Therefore, I am forced to live in this city�

“I was sold by my relatives to a dalal for Rs 20,000. I have to send money regularly home from the earnings of working in the bar�

These are just two narrations of women about their entry into the dance bar industry.

As the government announced the ban of dance bars throughout Maharashtra, PRAYAS—a field action project of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences—conducted a study on the ‘Socio-Economic and Rehabilitation Needs of Women in Dance Bars’ in April and March.

One hundred women living in areas of south Mumbai, Borivali, Nerul, Kalyan and Bhiwandi—these are essentially inhabited by bar girls—were interviewed. Two government rescue homes in Deonar and Chembur as well as under-trials at the Kalyan District Prison were also visited.

According to the study, there were more married women in this profession since most of them were deserted by their husbands and left to fend for themselves and look after their children.

“We found that middlemen were actively involved in recruiting women into this profession. There are also elements of human trafficking involved wherein women are lured jobs of which they have no prior knowledge,� said Vijay Raghavan, the project’s director.

The studies indicated that 33 per cent of the respondents were supportive of the ban and 92 per cent of them were willing to avail of government schemes for employment, education of their children et al.

With 89 per cent of the women working in dance bars staying in rented houses, immediate housing was one of the major cause of concern among the respondents. Many said they were willing to return to their villages or previous jobs—domestic work, agricultural labour, bidi work or zari work.

The report will be submitted to the Women and Child Welfare Department, State and National Commission for Women, National Human Rights Commission and other government bodies.

“Although, we’ve just touched upon the topic, much more can be done. The heads of different agencies could sit down together and chalk out a concrete plan,� said Raghavan.