Sheetal

Revolutionary Sheetal's speech at One Billion Rising event in Mumbai, 14 Feb 2013.

Good evening every one

My name is Sheetal, I am rising because my mom is sex worker.

Whenever a woman or “normal girl”
is raped

or beaten up than society always stands with them

and fights for them.

I am happy when I see this, but I feel bad also.

Because my mother is a sex worker.

She is always raped. She is always beaten.

But this is not her job, to let herself be beaten.

Since my childhood, I have seen her being beaten.

......

...I've always watched her being beaten.

And any man who has ever helped my mother,

because he feeds her two meals a day, he thinks it's his job, or his right

to beat my mother. But hitting anyone is not anyone's job.

Just like a teacher's job is to teach,

a doctor's job is to treat patients,

a sex worker's job is to provide sex. Of her own choice, not by force.

So every sex worker should provide sex of her own choice.

And it's not anyone's right to hit her.

So I'm rising for my better future,

for my mom, and for sex workers around the world.

Thank you!