Sanghamitra, the CBO in Mumbai's largest red-light area Kamathipura, will receive the award during the 17th International HIV-AIDS conference to be held in Mexico in August.

The Red Ribbon Award, given every two years by UNAIDS and the Leadership and Community Programme Committees of the XVII International AIDS Con ference, honours and celebrates 25 outstanding community organisations. Sanghamitra serves women hit hard by sex trade.

The award is given to those CBO's that demonstrate leadership and action in curtailing the spread and impact of HIV/AIDS in the five categories-providing access to care, treatment and support for people living with HIV; promoting human rights and addressing social injustices including homophobia, sexism and other examples of stigma and discrimination; empowering women and girls and addressing gender inequalities that fuel the spread of HIV; providing support to children orphaned by AIDS and other vulnerable children and promoting HIV prevention programmes and services.

The awards were announced in the UN General Assembly's Special Session for HIV and AIDS. Formed in 2005, Sanghamitra, with support from Population Services International (PSI) is bringing together Female Sex Workers (FSW) and empowering them. "FSW's have reached the stage where at least they can raise their voices independently and can go to police stations, hospitals or complain to NGO's about any untoward incident," said Diane Cross, the program manager at PSI.

"Sanghamitra will now host and anchor the innovative concept of Community Dialogue Spaces in the Mexico conference," added Cross. These spaces offer these organisations an opportunity to showcase their work, celebrate success, share knowledge, and engage in extended "local to local" and "local to global" dialogues with representatives from other communities, NGOs, international organisations, donor governments, policy-makers and academics.