ICICI Bank to offer micro-finance to sex-workers

MUMBAI: In a novel way to help sex-workers to live more meaningfully, country's largest private sector bank, ICICI Bank is planning to offer financial assistance to them though the micro-finance route.

For starters, the bank plans to launch the programme in Kolkata by entering into a tie-up with Durbar Mahila Samwanaya Samitee, an NGO working for the welfare of around 65,000 sex-workers in and around the city.

"We propose to help commercial sex workers to move out of their profession in a viable and sustainable way by offering micro-finance to them," bank's Deputy Managing Director Nachiket Mor said.

Under the scheme of arrangement, the NGO would form some Self-Help Groups (SHGs), comprising 10-20 sex-workers. Through these SHGs, the sex-workers would get access of finance.

"With the access of finance, they can set up Kiranna shops or something similar to that," he said.

When contacted, a bank's spokesperson said the bank was intending to offer the service as a part of its financial inclusion programme.

"We will roll out the service to other parts of the country to bring marginal and underprivileged class under the banking fold," the bank official said.