Meri Marzi

The first phase of food distribution of food and other basic essentials for the female s*x workers and their families of Lucknow.
Due to the covid pandemic they have been facing financial issues and hopefully things will improve in coming time for the better.

You must hate me.
What have I done?
Why?
My body aches
my mind races
forever afraid
I hate that.
Watching every move you make
reading each motion of body
no mistakes
cannot make
for should I
repercussions will be great.
Home
where the heart is
where the soul is rend
hiding away from the world
no one hears my words
no one sees my eyes
dead inside.
Raise your fist
open your hand
cuff the back of my head
love tap
you assure the others
while I look down at my feet.
Subjugated
demeanor has changed
no longer a fun loving girl.
Kick me while I am down.
Beat me while I am up.
Chained to your desires
your whims
my life
a living hell.

Image and Poem via Pinterest

Our program featured in jharokha magazine

Daulatdi is the name of a village in Bangladesh - it has been called the largest brothel in the world. 2000 women sell their bodies in shacks, in an area that is 3.2 square feet large (44 soccer fields).
The number of prostitutes there is estimate at 1,600 and the average age of new arrivals is 14. Most women and girls that end up in this shanty town brothel are trafficked from remote parts of Bangladesh and are slaves to the brothel owners that buy them from the traffickers.
Photo credits:
Sandra Hoyn and Giora Dan

Photographer E. J. Bellocq took dozens of portraits inside the brothels of Storyville, the only legalized red-light district in North America until it was shut down in 1917.

What are Devadasi?
Some religious beliefs explain that the Devadasis consider the Gods their husbands and thus cannot marry other mortal men. The same was later being called as “Nagarvadhu’s” or the “Brides of the town” and were called upon by the royals and the rich to dance and sing. To name a few, Amrapali-the state courtesan and Buddhist disciple came to be known as “VaishalikiNagarvadhu”.
Source: Speaking Tree

History of one of the oldest profession of the world