The Jakarta Post has published this story on March 02, 2007
One does not necessarily have to resort to a rally, demonstration or armed struggle to defend the oppressed, as is shown by Singapore-based photographer, Zhuang Wubin, in a solo exhibit titled Fighting for the Rights of Sex Workers in Calcutta.
"I want to show the world a portrait of the life of sex workers in Calcutta, India," Zhuang said on Tuesday.
The exhibit opened on Wednesday, and is set to run through March, at the gallery of the French Culture Center (CCCL) Surabaya.
As the title of the exhibition suggests, the 20 photographs on display tell the story of how commercial sex workers (CSW) in the Sonaghaci area of Calcutta fight for their rights. This includes fighting for a decent life through the establishment of a bank for sex workers and the right to education.
Sonaghaci is the oldest red-light district in Bengal province, east India, and the province is home to some 50,000 CSW presently. Of these, about 9,000 live in Sonaghaci.
The majority of Sonaghaci's CSW have organize themselves into a community-based organization called Durbar. Durbar, which means "unstoppable" in the Bengal language, seeks to legalize CSW.
As is the case in Indonesia, it is not easy to document activities in a red-light district.
Zhuang's photographs were taken secretly, not only because of possible threats from pimps and bodyguards, but also because of the unwillingness of some of the sex workers to be photographed.
"I took these pictures when I, together with Mahila Samanwaya Committee of the Durbar NGO, visited Sonaghaci in 2005," said Zhuang, a graduate of the journalistic department of Singapore's Nanyang University.
Working in a difficult situation wherein threats exist all around, however, will sometimes produce extraordinary results.
Zhuang, who specializes in taking pictures about daily life, has successfully captured the portrait of a trans-gender sex worker, although when seen with the naked eye, the physical differences in a trans-gender individual cannot be detected.
Several photographs also depict the portrait of a former sex worker who entered the trade after she had been raped repeatedly.
"She is Sandra Nayah. Before, she was a construction worker. Unfortunately, she was forced to have sex with her fellow construction workers for five years. Eventually, she was able to get away from this," said Zhuang, who once participated in Chobi Mela III, the most important photo exhibition in Asia.
One very interesting picture in this exhibition is one about the CSW bank. The bank has been set up especially for sex workers, because in India, nearly all banks deny reject sex workers as customers.
"I want all sex workers in the world to imitate this," said Zhuang. "In this way, sex workers will be economically empowered and eventually they will have enough to stop selling their bodies and start other businesses."
Zhuang Wubin, Fighting for the Rights of Sex Workers in Calcutta, runs from Feb. 28-March 9 at the Center of Culture and Linguistic Cooperation (CCCL) of Surabaya, Jl. Darmokali 10, Surabaya 60265. Phone (031) 5678639; fax (031) 5615246, email info@ccclsurabaya.com
good story. wish i could see he exhibition
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