The smart-card way to self-esteem

Melissa pointed us to this article in the TIER mailing list. A very interesting way being tried out by an organization in Mysore, is to give smart cards to sex workers, through which they can buy discounted clothes or beauty products they need greatly for their profession. The only condition is that to renew the validity of the smart cards, they have to show up for HIV tests regularly. Certainly a very interesting way, but there are many questions to this as well. Prostitution in India is illegal -- can this lead to prosecution of the sex workers? Will these cards isolate them even more from the general public? How many vendors will be ready to take part in this initiative? Whether it be successful or not, the approach surely highlights the importance of there being some kind of an incentive structure to encourage empowerment and awareness. Because otherwise, the general population is quite indifferent to changing their ways of living.