Abolishing Intergenerational Prostitution in Kolkata alongside South Kolkata Hamari Muskan

At the beginning of 2026, Héma Sibi, Director General of CAP International, traveled to Kolkata in eastern India. Alongside our member organization, South Kolkata Hamari Muskan (SKHM), she met with women from the red-light districts of Sonagachi and Bowbazaar, areas marked by extreme poverty, severe social marginalization, and the persistence of intergenerational prostitution.

Neighborhoods marked by exclusion and the transmission of prostitution

The Sonagachi and Bowbazaar districts in central Kolkata are home to populations mostly from oppressed castes, particularly dalits, who face very limited access to hygiene, healthcare, and education. Since British colonization, prostitution has been deeply rooted in these areas and is often passed from mother to daughter due to a lack of economic and social alternatives.

Prostitution sites are also living spaces: small rooms of 2 to 3 m² where entire families sometimes live, under conditions of extreme precariousness. Many women are forced to engage in prostitution to survive, under pressure from pimps who can be brothel owners, local actors, or even their own husbands.

Prostitution constitutes structural violence against women and children, fueled by poverty, caste discrimination, and gender inequality. Far from being a “choice,” it is based on coercion, dependency, and domination, benefiting others. This exploitation persists through networks of control—economic, social, and familial—that trap women and children in a cycle that is extremely difficult to escape.

As Priya, 23, a social work student born in Bowbazaar and supported by SKHM since 2009, testifies:

The EXIT Program: creating sustainable alternatives to prostitution

As part of the EXIT program, coordinated by CAP International, SKHM works directly within the red-light districts to create safe spaces for the women and children it supports. The goal is to promote their autonomy, dignity, and financial independence through holistic support.

Phase 2 of the EXIT program focuses on a key lever of empowerment and a vector of dignity: access to employment. SKHM guides beneficiaries toward education, vocational training, and employment, while also providing psychosocial support.

On the occasion of launching this second phase, CAP International met with women currently receiving vocational training, particularly in sewing and cooking. Those who have completed their programs are now entrepreneurs, working as independent seamstresses or developing catering services, paving the way toward sustainable socioeconomic independence.

Group of women participating in SKHM’s sewing training

The voices of Sonagachi and Bowbazaar at the French Consulate: together to abolish prostitution!

The year 2026 marks the tenth anniversary of the French abolitionist law on prostitution. On this occasion, CAP International organized a press conference at the French Consulate General in Kolkata. This law, adopted in 2016, decriminalizes victims of prostitution, provides exit pathways, and penalizes clients. Ten years later, France continues to promote the abolitionist approach internationally, supporting partners like CAP International and SKHM who implement these principles on the ground.

Mr. Thierry Morel, French Consul General in Kolkata

However, celebrating this law in Kolkata highlights a paradox: the city hosts the largest red-light district in South Asia. In her speech, Héma Sibi emphasized the importance of international and solidarity-based action to abolish prostitution:

This press conference was also an opportunity to highlight, within a diplomatic institution, the voices from the field: those of women and children born in the red-light districts of Sonagachi and Bowbazaar, supported by South Kolkata Hamari Muskan (SKHM).

The abolition of prostitution is a struggle far from over. The voices of Sonagachi and Bowbazaar testify to the urgent need to act to protect victims and transform these neighborhoods into dignified living spaces free from exploitation.

• International
• Programme EXIT
• EXIT
• India