Tactical Tech have just completed a two and a half project working with two sex-worker collectives in India and Cambodia – Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee (DMSC) and the Women's Network for Unity (WNU) – to strengthen their use of data and evidence for advocacy on violence against sex workers. Both organisations were keen to explore the role of evidence in a strategic, proactive approach to advocacy rather than reacting to violations on a case-by-case basis or mass rallies. The DMSC community surveyed up to 22,000 women sex-workers in West Bengal about violence they had experienced. The data contradicted some of the organisation's previous assumptions: showing, for example, that the police and babus (long term clients-turned-partners) were responsible for the highest proportion of the violence against sex workers.
Based on this data five infographics were produced by our partners Mediashala around the theme 'Who Victimises Sex Workers'. Each infographic targeted a particular audience – for example the police or members of the state legislative assembly. As a result of the project, DMSC has changed how they collect data and how they document their work. The organisation has begun to use the information they collect as evidence in their advocacy campaign to reduce violence against sex workers. DMSC look forward to testing these infographics with their target audiences and assessing the impact they have. In the next few months we're expecting to see visualisations of data collected by WNU. Stay tuned!