Rina Akter
Rina Akter | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Nationality | Bangladesh |
| Occupation | sex worker turned humanitarian |
| Known for | meals for unemployed Dhaka's sex workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. |
Rina Akter is a Bangladeshi sex worker turned humanitarian. She was recognised as one of the BBC's 100 Women in 2020 for her work when she was organising 400 meals a day during the COVID-19 pandemic for unemployed Dhaka sex workers.
Life
Akter was born in Bangladesh. When she was eight years old she was sold to a brothel for sex work.[1] She worked amongst the sex workers in Dhaka. The organisation she was part of was called Durjoy Nari Sangha and after a while she joined the organisation Lighthouse. There is a drop-in centre where the workers can accessed support including health and legal advice and when required they can get help with births and funerals.[2]
Her work became invaluable during the Covid pandemic that sex workers were starving. The Indian government was helping many through the crisis but Dharka's sex workers were not given assistance.[2] Due to fear of infection the sex workers had lost their customers. Some had some savings but many had none and as the brothels (classed as entertainment venues) closed many of their workers tried to sell on the street which created more competition and increased health risks for those involved. Routine health checks for HIV/AIDS became unavailable due to restrictions.[3] National restrictions required social distancing and the workers were getting no food or assistance. With the help of others and NGOs she organises 400 meals a day for these women.[1]
In 2020 she was one of 100 women and only two Bangladeshi women to be recognised by the BBC for outstanding achievement. The other Bangladeshi woman was the teacher Rima Sultana Rimu who was teaching Rohinga refugees.[4]
References
- ^ a b বাংলাদেশ, Daily Bangladesh :: ডেইলি. "Rina, Rima: 2 Bangladeshi women named in BBC 100 Women 2020 list". Daily Bangladesh. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
- ^ a b Billah, Masum; Correspondent, Staff. "'She was with us when no one else was there': Rina Akter is floating sex workers' last resort". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
{{cite web}}:|last2=has generic name (help) - ^ "Vulnerability mapping to help sex workers in Bangladesh and Myanmar". www.unaids.org. 12 January 2021. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
- ^ "2 Bangladeshis feature in BBC 100 Women 2020". Dhaka Tribune. 2020-11-24. Retrieved 2021-02-01.