The sex workers’ movement in
Europe and globally
OUR DEMANDS!
Sex workers in Europe and around the world have been organising for many years.
Our main reasons to organise are:
- Resist and denounce arrests, fines, police abuse.
- Change legal system to decriminalise sex work
Sex workers are also fighting to:
- End violence against sex workers (by police, clients, members of public)
- Change the society to stop stigmatisation and discrimination which fuels violence
The sex workers movement is at the intersection of many other struggles
- Violence against women
- Transphobia – for trans rights
- Health / HIV
- Against poverty
- For migrants rights and against racism
1975 - FRANCE
Occupation of Church of St Nizier by 100 prostitutes
to protest police corruption and arrests
2nd of June is celebrated as Sex Workers’ Rights Day!
1975-2015: CELEBRATING 40 YEARS OF SEX WORKERS
ACTIVISM (LYON & PARIS)
“We face arrest, jail, fines, being called ‘unfit
mothers’ and losing custody of our children. . .
Those of us on the street face the worst
dangers but we are all threatened . . . we want
to break those divisions among women on the
game. . . If you are a prostitute, the courts
assume you can’t be raped. . . Through
prostitution, we provide the welfare the State
won’t provide for us and our children, husbands
and elderly parents.” That is how we started
and we have remained true to those aims for
nearly 40 years.
ENGLISH COLLECTIVE OF PROSTITUTES
END POLICE VIOLENCE AND CORRUPTION
In most European countries, sex worker is
criminalised or penalised.
Sex workers can be
- directly criminalised with offences related
to selling sex, or soliciting (street working).
- Indirectly criminalised (laws on pimping
and brothel keepings targeting sex
workers; laws on communicating)
- Indirectly criminalised as members of
other communities (trans, migrants, Roma,
people who use drugs…)
The police who implement the law is often
corrupt and responsible of violence and abuse
against sex workers.
Sex workers fight to change the laws about
sex work and to stop police violence.
END CRIMINALISATION: SEX
WORKERS DEMAND CHANGES IN
LAW
Sex worker demand change to the
laws: decriminalisation of sex
workers, clients and third parties
in order to end police abuse and
corruption and fight against
exploitative and violent third
parties, clients and criminals.
STOP VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
The majority of sex workers are women, many of them mothers
and single mothers.
Sex workers are at high risk of violence and organise to end
stigma and criminalisation that legitimates violence
- 17th of December
- Alliance with women’s rights organisations
SEX WORKERS’ RIGHTS! TRANS RIGHTS!
1,731 cases of trans people murdered
between 2008 and 2014. More than 65%
were sex workers.
Violence against migrants and racism
Many sex workers attacked and victims of violence are migrant sex
workers.
Example:
In UK, several romanian sex workers were murdered in recent
years.
Mariana Popa, 24 and pregant was stabbed in
the streets of London whilst working in 2013
Luciana Maurer, Romanian sex worker murdered in
Scotland in 2014. She worked in Scotland to send money
to her family. She had a 7 year old child.
Lidia Pascale, 26, was
murdered in Birmingham
in June 2015
This is why sex workers’s organisations need to include the issues faced by different communities and
identities: women, trans women, drug users, roma, migrants etc.
Many organisations «allies» support sex workers’ rights and can help your organisation (LGBT, service
providers, some women groups..)
Methods of actions and organising!
Public protests and actions
Public meetings and meetings with officials (health, justice, social affairs..)
Meetings and alliance buildings with other minority and groups (women, LGBT, workers…)
Media
Cultural activism (theatre, films, radio show..)
Not victims, not guilty! We want rights!
Public action:
What are the aims and targets? (media,
politicans, other)
Finding a good symbolical location
Safety & police contact (can sex workers
be
part of the action & visible?)
Trained spokesperson
In Korea, sex workers protest and threaten to burn themselves
after their brothels are closed down.
Sex workers in London protest in front of Swedish
Embassy against criminalisation of clients.
Public meetings, events, and
conferences
Street art in
Argentina.
86% of female
sex workers
are mothers.
CULTURAL ACTIVISM:
Sex workers can make thir own events: films
festivals, art shows… or create their own movies
and resources to change society’s views on sex
work!
Conclusions
Sex worker all around the world are organising for the rights: end
police violence andd abusse, change the laws to stop our
criminalisation.
Sex workers belong to many different communities: women, LGBT,
migrants, roma and can face different forms of stigmatisation and
discrimination, even from within our communities.
Sex workers have developed their own organisations in many countries
and have organised events, meetings for their rights.
What will you do to fight for your rights?