SIAAPINDIA (2018)
Theme: Public discussions to build support for voluntary sex workers
Interventions: Series of discussions were conducted among students and activists from different disciplines as wide ranging as Law, Journalism, Engineering, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Social work, to enable them to understand the impending ‘Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2017’, more popularly known as the anti-trafficking Bill, and to challenge the false binary between anti-trafficking and voluntary sex work. Workshops were held across Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities.
Impact: The shift from rejection of sex work as immoral, lack of knowledge about the legal status of sex work in India, and the need to rescue sex workers from the profession, to a clear articulation of the need to allow sex workers to make a choice about continuing in sex work.
Advocacy for Rights of Sexual Minorities (2016-18)
Theme: Public advocacy for rights of sexual minorities Interventions: Sensitization programs on gender and sexuality for mental health professionals, college students, NGOs, Corporate organizations. Crisis intervention and mediation with police and families, establishing support groups, counselling, cultural/theatre programmes, organizing Pride events, preparing documentary film on LGBTQI for public, curriculum for mental health counselling, capacity building for second-line leadership for LGBTIQ community members and activists.
Impact: Reached approximately 2500 people with education, services, crisis intervention, and capacity building.
Namma Pasanga(2016-2017)
Theme: Adolescent Mental Health
Objective: Strengthening capabilities ofcounsellors and social workers at 32 District Child Protection Units DCPUs) across Tamil Nadu to engage with vulnerable adolescents, including sexual minorities, and those in conflict with law to address violence, mental and sexual health including STIs/HIV prevention and care.
Interventions: Basic and Advanced counselling training and site supervision. Issues addressed include sexuality, sexual harassment, pre-marital sex, STIs/HIV, failed love affairs, elopement, child marriage, gender discrimination, alcoholism, domestic violence, depression, mood disturbances, eating disorders, and suicidal tendencies.
Impact: At least 20% decrease in cases of repeat offenders.
70% of counsellors report improved performance in terms of numbers of counselling sessions, confidence, and skills.
100% DCPOs report improved knowledge of counsellor role and responsibilities.
2015-2018
Mana Bidda(2015-2018)
Theme-Gender equality
Objective: To reduce female infanticide in Kadapa district in Andhra Pradesh
Interventions: Improving attitudes towards girls, among adolescents and young people, families, community and religious leaders; sensitizing professionals including lawyers, healthcare workers, and government officials, creating peer support groups for women and children.
Impact: Reached approximately 1.9 million members from village communities and local schools and colleges with gender non-discrimination campaign, Endline data being analysed
Me and My World – Sarvojana (2012-2015)
Theme: Agency Building for Female sex workers
Objective: Strengthen agency of female sex workers to achieve non-HIV related rights and entitlements.
Interventions: Based on capabilities approach, FSWs identified six areas for intervention: (i) self-respect and self-confidence, (ii) inter-personal relationships; (iii) seeking and using resources (iv) dealing with power structures (v) resilience; and (vi) freedom to practice sex work. Key interventions included self-awareness, reflection, appreciation, non-judgement, communication, assertiveness, trust, tolerance, openness, safety, income security, boundary setting, empathy, reciprocity, caring, building and maintaining relationships, developing networks, solidarity, and knowledge about power and gender, and their intersections with sex work, and acceptance of sex work as work.
Impact: Dramatic increase in indicators related to self-respect and self-confidence, (ii) inter-personal relationships; (iii) seeking and using resources, and (iv) resilience. Less change in disclosure to children and very ow change in capacity to practice sex work.
Pehchan (2010-2016)
Theme: Capacity Building for MSM and TG CBOs.
Interventions: SIAAPINDIA worked with 22 CBOs across 20 districts for SRHR service provision, against Stigma and Discrimination, and family acceptance. SIAAPINDIA also developed modules for mental health counselling in association with National Institute for Mental Health Services (NIMHANS), and trained 150 Master Trainers and community counsellors.
Impact: 53% of CBOs continue to be supported by TNSACS and other donors.
Rural Youth Project (2009-2012)
Theme: Agency building for STIs/HIV prevention and care among young people in rural Tamil Nadu
Interventions: Promoting gender equality, human rights and poverty reduction, access to STI and HIV prevention and care resources.
The programme implemented in 13 districts in Tamil Nadu covering 3,85,000 youth, 3000 MSM and 7000 FSWs. Approximately 4500 young women were trained and linked for employment, 52 youth friendly counselling centres were established in villages, and about 1,80,000 youth were offered counselling services.
Impact: A phone survey among 749 adolescents and young women showed that 65% had continued to work/study further, 72% reported better relationships with their husbands, and 83% reported absence of any sexual health problem, and/or the ability to seek help at the local health service.
Period: 2006-2015
Sarvojana (2006-2010)
Theme: Community based Counselling and Testing for KPs
Interventions: SIAAPINDIA establishes a coalition of 7 NGOs and CBOs across 5 high prevalence states to initiate community based counselling and testing for FSWs, MSM, TGs, and their partners to accelerate access to ART, newly introduced in India, and link to social entitlements,
Impact: Approximately 1.5 million KPs reached with services, over 30,000 access voluntary and confidential testing, and approximately 3000 test HIV+ and are linked with treatment and support.
In 2017, NACO initiates Community based testing for KPs
2002-2007
Title: Sangams
Theme: Capacity Building for CBOs of FSWs, MSM and TGs, PLHAs, and visually challenged people.
Interventions: Collectivization of KPs, education about CBOs, registration, elections, planning and management of STI/HIV/AIDS prevention and care activities locally, advocacy with police, state, and village administrations, care and support, savings and credit programmes.
Impact: 23 collectives of FSWs, MSM,TGs, PLHAs, and visually challenged people registered.
Federations for FSWs and MSM and TGs CBOs registered (Vadamalar) See www.nnswindia.org,(Challenge) See www.infosem.org/SIAAPINDIA
121 Panchayats pass resolutions against stigma and discrimination of PLHAs, sexual minorities and FSWs.
Six Thrift and Credit Societies established by FSWs and ongoing with an annual turnover of approximately Euro 500,000.
Over 50% of CBOs are supported by state for targeted interventions with KPs) targeted supported by TNSACS and other donors.
1997-2001
Counselling
Theme: Client centered Counselling for STIs/HIV/AIDS
Interventions: Training, Supportive supervision, and Certification, for counsellors in STI clinics and VCTCs in collaboration with NederlandseStichting Gestalt (Amsterdam), and The Central School for Counselling and Training (UK).
Impact: A network of 300 counsellors trained, placed and site supervised across 354 government hospitals in South India. Over 50 counsellors from FSWs, MSM, TGs, PLHAs, and visually challenged communities. A cadre of 12 master trainers developed for Client- Centred counselling across South India. Guidelines developed for client centred counselling and testing, including protocols for informed consent and confidentiality.
Programme taken over in 2004 and upscaled nationally by the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO).
Mainstreaming HIV/AIDS prevention and care among NGOs (1992-1997)
Theme: Capacity Building for NGOs across South India
Interventions:Outreach among female sex workers and their clients for HIV prevention and care services including advocacy with police and action against violence, stigma and discrimination, Consent and confidentiality rights for STIs/HIV counselling and testing and treatment, building lawyer networks for legal aid.
Establishing a model care centre for PLHAs
Impact: A network of 52 NGOs across South India initiate and deliver STIs/HIV/AIDS prevention and care services for female sex workers and truckers including advocacy and action against S&D.
In 1997 NGOs linked with independent funding through INGOs
