Delhi Sex Workers Disproportionately Impacted by Voter List 'Purification' Efforts

Quick Brief
An electoral list revision initiative in Delhi has severely affected marginalized residents, including sex workers in the GB Road red-light district. Lacking permanent homes and required documentation, a significant portion of these individuals are losing their right to vote.
What Happened?
A government-led drive to 'purify' voter lists in Delhi has impacted approximately a third of the city's residents. In Old Delhi's GB Road red-light district—home to an estimated 2,800 sex workers living and working in upper-floor brothels—individuals without permanent housing and official documents are being systematically struck off the electoral rolls.
Why It Matters
The disenfranchisement of vulnerable populations, such as sex workers who lack standard permanent addresses and paperwork, highlights systemic barriers in political participation and administrative record-keeping for marginalized urban communities.
Key Facts
- A government initiative to 'purify' voter lists has affected roughly a third of Delhi's residents.
- The GB Road red-light district in Old Delhi houses an estimated 2,800 sex workers.
- Many sex workers in the area reside and work in brothels occupying the upper floors of local buildings.
- Individuals lacking permanent homes and standard identification documents are among the hardest hit by the voter list revisions.
Compiled from 1 outlet
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