SEX WORKER ORGANISATIONS’ and PROJECTS’
FUNDING PRIORITIES
Mapping Commissioned by the Donor Dialogue to Advance Sex
Workers’ Rights
2010
Anna-Louise Crago
Index
Executive Summary_____________________________________________________3
Average Funding by Region (2009)_________________________________________8
Methodology___________________________________________________________9
Results
I
Introduction to Results_________________________________________15
II
Networks____________________________________________________15
III
Latin America________________________________________________ 20
IV
Caribbean___________________________________________________ 25
V
Southern Africa_______________________________________________29
VI
Eastern Africa________________________________________________33
VII South-East Asia_______________________________________________36
VIII South Asia___________________________________________________39
IX
Non-Focus Regions____________________________________________42
Overview of Funding____________________________________________________44
Appendix 1- Groups Contacted____________________________________________48
Appendix 2- List of Sex Worker Organisations_______________________________53
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
2
Executive Summary
This report was commissioned by the Open Society Foundation’s Sexual Health and
Rights Project (SHARP) in order to inform a process towards a collaboration to advance
the human rights of sex workers. Many of the donors and activists involved with
conceptualizing a collaboration have extensive experience with either funding or
advocating for the human rights of sex workers. It was felt, however, that more
information on regional and global funding trends could help inform future discussions.
This report does not claim to represent all sex worker groups globally or in the regions
where the research focused. Rather, it tries to present some possible trends and give
recommendations on effectively supporting groups to advocate for the human rights of
sex workers.
Over-all Recommendations for Funding
Many of the organizations that responded to this mapping operate with small and
tenuous amounts of funding. In four regions in this mapping, the average budget for a sex
worker-led group is below 41 000 $. In two of these regions, the average budgets for a
sex worker-led group are respectively below 14 000 $ and 9000 $.
Furthermore, those groups who are able to access larger funding streams often
contend with having to provide rigidly restricted HIV-related services or many short-term
project out-puts in return. Outside of a few exceptional country contexts, the amount of
funding available on a global scale to support sex workers in advancing their rights is
extremely small. The available funds are simply not sufficient to support a strong
movement.
In that context, it comes as little surprise that the strongest recommendation to
emerge from this report is an increase in funding for sex worker-led groups and networks.
In particular, respondents requested: core funding; support for programming that is
specifically rights focused; funds to support sex workers responding to human rights
crises; and funding that reflects the gender diversity within sex worker communities.
Funding continuity was further identified a crucial strategic element for movement
building.
Donors are asked to “meet sex worker groups where they are”. In some instances,
this means supporting burgeoning groups by using the grant-making process as a way to
provide technical assistance through feedback and help with proposals. In other cases, it
is by providing the financial support for organizations to avail themselves of the technical
assistance they need to develop structurally in a sustainable way, including through peerto-peer mentoring and capacity-building between sex worker groups. For many
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
3
respondents, it also means continued dialogue with sex worker groups to make the grantmaking process more adapted to the contexts in which sex worker groups are working.
Funding to Sex Worker-Run Organizations
A constant refrain from groups was that the bulk of funding was available to
groups who only involved sex workers in token capacities. Respondents echoed the call
made in the first mapping for the donor dialogue that funding must be prioritized for sex
worker-run organization.
Core-Funding For Sex Worker Groups and National Networks
This was a resounding recommendation. It has been explained in depth above,
simply put as Elena Reynaga of Redtrasex says: “Just look at what some groups have
accomplished without a cent. Now, imagine what they could do if they were funded.”
A balance must be struck and funding shouldn’t be allotted only to highly
developed groups or only to emerging groups. Similarly, both national/local groups and
regional networks must be funded.
One group in Latin America expressed their frustration that:
There is money for extremely expensive trips to go to meetings and for
regional networks. But so much goes into bureaucracy. We need to be
funded right here, where we are doing the work and making the changes
happen.
Other groups did not share this sentiment but applauded how regional networks
had provided them with a lot of technical support, including access to funding. Almost all
groups felt that rather than fund them as opposed to regional networks, if both were
funded adequately, they would strengthen each other.
Funding for Rights Projects / Mobilization
Many respondents were frustrated that funding was almost entirely tied to HIVprevention and that to be funded, human rights projects often had to be framed in terms
of their links to preventing HIV (talking about treating HIV or HIV+ sex workers and
their needs reportedly didn’t garner much support either). In the words of Elena Reynaga:
There is no support for rights work. If there is any funding it is for HIVprevention. Maybe, if you are lucky you can get a little funding for human
rights work, but never for labor rights work. We finally won the repeal of
the law criminalizing sex workers in 3 provinces in Argentina. It is a
massive victory. In Ecuador, after 4 years, sex workers won the repeal of
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
4
mandatory testing cards that police used to extort them. But there is never
funding for that kind of rights work.
Other respondents expressed their dismay that funding was so quick to go to skilltrainings that abound readily, and so slow to go to human rights work.
Over all groups expressed a desire for greater investment in human rights work,
for funding that would allow them to mobilize, document, campaign, advocate and create
lasting change. This applied to groups who both wished to start human rights
programming and groups who had successfully developed human rights programming but
were still looking for financial support for it.
Sex worker mobilization or collectivization was also a priority mentioned by
many groups. Such a process was seen as a necessary complement to successful human
rights programming by many groups.
Funding For Crises
Some organizations contacted were facing crisis situations. These included the
murders of trans sex workers in Honduras and the draconian anti-trafficking/anti-sex
work law in Guatemala. In Haiti and Thailand, sex workers were contending with a
dramatic loss of income due to natural disaster and political instability, respectively. A
number of organizations spoke of the difficulty of funding crisis work when it is difficult,
by its very nature, to plan for.
Andrew Hunter of APNSW suggested that 100 000$ be put into a crisis fund for
sex workers each year that could be administered by the Emergency Action Fund since
they have the structure and linguistic capabilities in place.
Reflecting Gender Diversity in Funding
A few respondents asked funders to be mindful of the specific needs of male and
trans sex workers. They highlighted that trans sex workers’ needs are different from both
those of men who have sex with men (MSM) and trans people overall. Furthermore, a
couple respondents highlighted the need to recognize the specific health and rights issues
faced by male sex workers. Respondents warned of the importance of not conflating male
sex workers with the general MSM or gay community, as is done by UNAIDS and many
funders. While, some regional contexts called for the strategic containing of male sex
worker projects within overall MSM or LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender)
initiatives, it is important to ensure that the specific issues of male and trans sex workers
are not eclipsed and that male and trans sex workers’ self-organization efforts and
networks receive support.
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
5
Finally, groups in the Caribbean highlighted the importance of being mindful of
the fact that there are male sex workers who sell sex services to women.
Continuity in Funding
Organizations that had experienced continuity of funding over a number of years
spoke enthusiastically of how it had allowed them to develop their organization and
engage in innovative programming. Many of the strongest regional leaders like Ammar,
in Argentina and Empower, in Thailand, had benefited from long-term funding. Empower
spoke of how continuity of funding allowed sex worker groups to actually develop and
achieve lasting changes. In Liz Hilton’s words: “It will take decades to get sex workers’
rights. Donors can’t expect to see results in one year.”
Meeting and Accompanying Sex Worker Groups Where They Are
This was also a resounding recommendation. SWAN, WONETHA and ALCIS,
among others, spoke very highly of the technical assistance, advice and support they had
gotten from Open Society Foundation (OSF) through out the periods of their grants.
Groups like Health Triangle requested support from donors in getting sex workers to a
place where they could run their own projects.
However, this recommendation also emerged from well-established sex worker
groups. Liz Hilton from Empower echoed many respondents when she said: “A good
funder acknowledges the value of working directly with sex workers and is brave enough
to be flexible and recognize the complexities that we have to work under.” Liz Hilton
further encouraged donors to meet sex workers part way:
Donors need to be ready to learn from sex workers and their organizations.
There are a lot of techniques and skills that sex workers use that donors
could really benefit from learning from. It is really too bad that very rarely
do you see a donor fund a sex worker organization and end up changing
their practices. But very often you see a donor fund a sex worker
organization and the sex worker organization ends up changing their
practices.
Peer-to-Peer Mentoring/Technical Assistance
When asked who could provide technical assistance in their region, with a couple
of exceptions, respondents either said they didn’t know or mentioned the following: other
sex worker groups; sex worker networks; groups that incubated them or worked in
coalition with them. A number of sex worker organizations are very well placed to
provide mentoring and technical assistance in many different areas. Groups that are not
sex worker led, but already do sexual rights work (the Sexual Rights Centre in
Zimbabwe, and CEDEP in Malawi for instance) may also be ideally situated to provide
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
6
assistance. They have insight into the issues sex workers are facing and have an
established relationship of trust.
Understanding the Context
The interviews made clear that context was important to understanding why
certain types of projects were a priority in a place. They provided background on both
negative developments such as repressive new laws or recent assassination and positive
strides such as openings for partnership within the police force and newly-elected
sympathizers. They shed light on why certain priorities existed and on why groups chose
very different tactics for engaging with health and rights issues.
More Funding
This is perhaps not an uncommon suggestion to donors. Nonetheless, a
conservative funding climate and restrictions placed on funding sex workers’ rights
organizations made many sex worker groups feel that funding was more difficult to find
than for other issues and populations. In some contexts, this coincided with anti-sex work
groups getting a significant injection of funds, further impeding the work of sex worker
groups. Many respondents felt that much of the funding that was available was precarious
or restrictive. This was particularly the case for groups that were sex worker-led or
involved very publicly in furthering a rights agenda for sex workers.
In light of this however, there was great recognition of the few funders who had
stepped into the breach and supported sex worker rights.
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
7
Average Funding by Region
Based on respondents
(2009)
Over-all Average and Average for Sex Worker-Led Groups
Caribbean
Sex Worker-Led Groups
16 050 $
13 500 $
Southern Africa
Sex Worker-Led Groups
39 428 $
8 571 $
Latin America
Sex Worker-Led Groups
35 089 $
40 748 $
Eastern Africa
Sex Worker-Led Groups
71 946 $
33 202 $
South-East Asia
Sex Worker-Led Groups
124 324 $
159 625 $
South Asia
Sex Worker-Led Groups
251 303 $
393 233 $1
1
It is important to note that there is a the large discrepancy between the 4 sex worker-led
groups: DMSC & Sangram in India (joint average: 770 676 $) and Sex Worker Network
of Bangladesh and Companions on a Journey in Sri Lanka (joint-average: 15 790 $).
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
8
Methodology
Contact and Tools
As a first step to the mapping, an email call-out was sent through various sex
worker networks, sex work list-servs and HIV list-servs asking for groups to contribute
the names and contact information for sex worker groups or projects in the focus regions.
The focus regions were determined based on an initial mapping of where donors who had
participated in a December 2009 collaboration meeting were currently funding. All of the
sex worker networks provided their membership lists with the exception of the Asia
Pacific Network of Sex Workers (APNSW), who allowed me to post on their list-serv
instead, and the Network of Sex Work Projects (NSWP).
A survey questionnaire was developed in English, French, Spanish and
Portuguese in order to reach a maximum of groups in the focus regions. The survey was
kept relatively brief and used multiple-choice formats wherever possible to accommodate
sex worker groups with difficult internet connection or unwieldy work loads. The followup interviews used longer open-ended questions to solicit more in-depth responses.
An email was sent out in the four languages above to 10 sex work list-servs
explaining the mapping and encouraging groups to participate and to forward the email
through other networks. The email contained links to the on-line survey in four languages
as well as in-text email versions for groups with difficulty loading graphics due to slow
internet connections.
A request to forward the above call-out with the survey to sex worker
groups/projects was sent out to 27 broader networks or donors who include, support or
run sex worker groups/projects.
Using a snowball technique, groups who were identified or participated in the
survey were asked to provide the names of other sex worker organizations/projects they
knew of. This was complemented by research on the web and of publications pertaining
to sex work and the target regions, to identify and contact more groups. Approximately
60 individual emails in the appropriate languages were sent out directly to
groups/projects asking them to participate.
In total, 51 groups participated in the survey. Responses were divide linguistically
follows:

3 Portuguese (from Latin America and Southern Africa)

6 French (from Africa, the Caribbean, and Europe)

7 Spanish (from Latin American, the Caribbean and Western Europe)
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
9

35 English (from Europe, Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and North America)
Regional participation was as follows:

Middle East / North Africa: 0

West Africa:
3

CEE/CA:
2

East Asia:
2

North America (Canada, US): 4

Europe (Western):
7
Focus Regions






Caribbean:
Latin America:
Eastern Africa:
Southern Africa:
South Asia:
South/East Asia:
7
5
5
5
6
5
More emphasis was put on recruiting participation from the focus regions.
Nonetheless, efforts were made to reach out to groups in West Africa, CEE/CA and
MENA. In the case of MENA, this was through both network/donor contacts and direct
communication with groups/projects in Egypt, Morocco and Lebanon. Unfortunately
there was no response. In the cases of both the CEE/CA and MENA, language barriers
may have been a substantial dissuasion to participate.
The original methodology called for follow-up interviews to be held with groups
who had completed the survey in order to clarify and go into more depth about their
responses. Towards this aim, the survey asked participants if they were willing to be
contacted for an interview and if so, to provide their contact information.
However, this approach needed be modified partway through. Survey responses
came in slowly, and in some regions’ a limited number of groups responded. Out of
concern for contacting sufficient numbers of groups and for ensuring a balance in
representation, a number of groups who did not participate in the survey were contacted
directly.
Interviewees had to have participated in the organization for sufficient time and in
such a capacity as to be able to speak to the organization’s development and to the needs
for technical assistance in relation to advancing sex workers’ human rights. Interviewees
were sex workers when possible and where relevant. Interviews were conducted in
English, French and Spanish. In a few cases, repeated inaudible phone connections or
dropped lines, linguistic barriers or difficult scheduling given time differences and/or
travel, resulted in individuals asking or being asked to provide their answers over email.
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
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Criteria for Inclusion
Criteria for inclusion in the mapping reflected the principles of the donor dialogue
as expressed in the report by Mathew Greenall for a December 2008 convening, and the
final meeting report. They were as follows:
1.
Regional/International Sex Worker Networks: All regional and international
sex work networks were included. In the case of regions where sex workers of
different genders or linguistic groups are not part of the existing regional network,
overlapping or complementary networks were interviewed. This is explained in
more detail below in the section on ensuring balanced representation.
2. Priority Regions: Groups and/or projects from all over the world were invited to
participate in a survey. Particular attention and follow-up interviews were given
to the regions identified by the donor group as a focus. These were Latin America,
the Caribbean, Eastern and Southern Africa, South-East and South Asia.
3. National Sex Worker Networks: This included networks of different sex worker
organizations or sex workers that have advocating for sex workers’ rights as part
of their mission or their activities.
Sex Worker Groups/Projects: Organizations were included whether or not they
were already affiliated with existing sex worker networks. Organizations were
asked to confirm that they filled the following criteria:
• Groups/projects whose programming is guided by an understanding of
sex work as work.
• Groups/projects that include the advancement of sex workers’ rights in
their mission or their activities.
• Sex worker-led groups or groups led by allies in which sex workers are
involved at the heart of all decision-making about sex work initiatives.
Sex worker-led groups were prioritized. However, this was not possible in
certain countries where the political context has made it dangerous for sex
worker-led groups to emerge. A wide spectrum of sex worker-led groups were
included ranging from large-scale formally registered organizations to grass roots
associations. Groups or projects by and/or for a subset of sex workers were
included such as initiatives for female sex workers, male sex workers, migrant sex
workers or HIV-positive sex workers, according to the previously mentioned
criteria.
The criteria were contentious for a few organizations. One Canadian group
was dismayed at the criteria of sex workers having to be involved in decisionmaking. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the coordinator of Redtrasex
reported the network’s strong objections to sex worker “projects” of large NGOs
that were not self-organizations being consulted. According to the coordinator,
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
11
many groups were deeply concerned that such inclusion would do more harm than
good to the sex workers’ movement.
Three groups were eliminated from the survey (one from Peru, one from
the Philippines and one from Canada). In the first two cases, the groups, by their
own admission in the survey, did not fit the criteria. In the case of the group from
Peru, it did not participate in rights work. It was also reported by a sex worker
respondent from the region to have impeded sex worker self-organizations in
Peru. In the case of the group from the Philippines, it did not recognize sex work
as work but framed its work as advancing the recognition of “prostitution as a
form of violence against women” and was actively involved in abolitionistprohibitionist lobbying. In the final case, the group did not seem to exist.
The report aims to faithfully represent what respondents reported. Donors
should be mindful that it was beyond the scope of this mapping to verify all of the
information that was provided.
Ensuring Balance in Representation
The report sought to ensure balance in representation according to a
number of factors: region, country, gender, level of organization/formalization,
participation in networks and language.
Region
Efforts were made to contact the same number of groups in each focus
region for interviews. All of the existing regional networks were contacted. In the
case of MENA, no such network exists; so many efforts were made to contact
groups from the region. In the case of North America, there is no regional
network that exists formally, however the North American and Caribbean region
of the NSWP have their own list-serv and their two representatives to the NSWP
were consulted about regional issues.
Gender
In Latin America, the regional sex worker network, RedTraSex doesn’t
include trans or male sex workers. RedLacTrans, the regional trans network,
though not a sex workers’ rights network, does include many sex workers. It was
therefore approached to try and ensure gender balance. Efforts were made to
ensure that groups involving male and/or transgender sex workers were included.
Even better, in one case, a group serving male sex workers with a female clientele
was included (Jamaica Aids Support).
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
12
Level of organization/formalization
Efforts were made to include, where relevant, the voices of both nascent
groups and long-standing ones, both very grass-roots formations and highly
formalized community organizations.
Participation in networks
For each region, the author aimed to include at least one group that was
not a member of the regional network so as to reflect a diversity of perspectives
and experiences.
Language
In the Caribbean and in Africa, affiliation to regional networks is divided
linguistically. In the Caribbean for example, some Spanish-speaking groups are
represented within RedTraSex. A number of English-speaking groups are part of
the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Network (CVC), which is affiliated with
the North American Network. Some French and Creole speaking groups are
active within the recently-created French language international sex work listserv. In order to obtain a representative regional overview, interviews were done
within each of these sub-groups.
What constitutes involving sex workers in decision-making?
A couple of groups responded that though they received the call-out, they
would not participate since they were providers of health services and that “sex
workers” were their target- or part of their target- but that they were not involved
in rights work. Interestingly, other groups with similar profiles and activities
chose to participate.
Of these groups, some remained vague about what role sex workers played
in decision-making. At least one group indicated that they were “sex worker-led”
because they had some sex worker peer educators. Time limitation prevented me
from elucidating the roles for sex workers in each of these groups. I chose to
include them but to highlight here that it is probable that some of these
organizations do not involve sex workers “at the heart of decision-making about
sex worker programs” as the criteria intended2.
2
Meanwhile, on the other end of the spectrum, some groups which operate
entirely based on sex workers’ priorities but have an ally as coordinator, identified
themselves as “led by allies”.
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
13
This complication only applied to the survey, for which groups selfselected to participate. All the interviews however, involved groups that I could
ascertain fully met the criteria.
Donors should be encouraged to dig in-depth into the role sex workers
actually play within organizations and the forms of decision-making power that
they wield. They should also be encouraged to ask groups for information about
what work they are doing specifically for sex workers’ rights to gain a clear
picture of the programming being referred to.
Limitations
Despite many efforts to contact groups in South Asia and South/East Asia
both for the survey and for interviews, fewer responses were received than
anticipated. Language barriers and the time and work groups had to spend on
translating responses were often a barrier. Some groups have only one person on
staff that can translate into English, whose skills are generally over-taxed.
Personal contacts in other regions made it more likely that groups opened
emails about the survey and felt comfortable participating. Nonetheless, across all
regions, many contacted groups did not participate. Amongst those who did, some
chose not to share sensitive information about their budget and sources of
funding. As a result, the information presented does not represent the data for all
existing groups. Nonetheless, it represents a useful regional overview.
Presentation of Results
In each section, groups are listed according to the alphabetical order of
their country. The  symbol indicates sex worker self-organization or a sex work
project under the leadership of sex workers. (F, T, M) indicate the genders of sex
workers involved in the group/project (female, transgender, male respectively).
Groups were asked to provide information on amounts and sources of
funding for the prior year. It is important to note however that groups may follow
different timelines for calculating their financial year. Amounts presented are in
American funds. These are estimated according to conversion rates in July and
August 2010. In the case of groups working on a number of issues, reported
funding is based on an estimate of the percentage of the over-all budget allocated
to sex worker-related activities.
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
14
Results
I
Introduction
The regions on which this mapping focuses provide contrasting portraits of
the range and scope of sex workers’ rights organizations, the ways in which sex workers
have become active within them and the ways in which gender is articulated.
Groups included in this mapping represent a wide range of funding and
organizational differences. For instance, included is a grassroots organization of sex
workers in Brazil that has been established for upwards of two decades that receives
3,690$ USD in funding and depends entirely on volunteers, to a nascent multi-million
dollar HIV-service organization for sex workers in Burma that has 350 employees in 18
project sites. These differences are in large part, reflective of funding dynamics and
political dynamics, not of need. The introduction to the results from each region tries to
capture some of this nuance.
II
Regional Networks
Context
Networks such as the Network of Sex Work Projects (NSWP), Redtrasex and
the Asia Pacific Network of Sex Workers (APNSW) are among the oldest and strongest
networks. Founded in the 1990s, they are well into their second decade of existence. By
contrast, a few networks have emerged as recently as the past couple years: ASWA in
Africa and the Caribbean Coalition. Slightly older, SWAN carved out a space for itself
starting in 2006 . The French African Network began in the same year with a one-time
grant of about 6000$ to Danaya So, a sex worker group in Mali, to set up its list-serv. It is
perhaps the most loosely-structured entity of the networks, primarily devoted to
information-sharing amongst members.
Finally, though non-sex workers coordinate both the Pan-African Sex Workers
Alliance (ASWA) and the Sex Workers Rights Advocacy Network (SWAN), sex workers
lead the organizations’ general direction.
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
15
Networks Funding Summary
NSWP
APNSW
SWAN
Redtrasex
ICRSE
Caribbean Network3
French African Network
ASWA
569 700 $
203 000 $
150 000 $
135 000 $
26 800 $
24 100 $
0$
Undisclosed
Organizational Development
* ICRSE had yet to have their strategic planning meeting at the time of the mapping, so
many of their answers to these questions will be forthcoming in the next year.
Core Funding for Networks
APNSW, SWAN and ASWA have core funding. However, NSWP and ICRSE
have substantial amounts that are still pending. The French African Network has no core
funding and the Caribbean network is primarily dependent on project funding. All
networks expressed, in the words of Petra Timmermans of ICRSE, having difficulty in
proving outputs “immediately, quantitatively and on the ground as a network”.
Respondents expressed that core funding, adequate funding for staff positions
and/or technical assistants would allow the networks to develop and strengthen. As it is,
they are required to spend a great deal of time representing the networks in different fora
and policy spaces. This places heavy demands on groups with no core funding to absorb
the work required.
Core Funding for Sex Worker Self-Organizations
APNSW, Redtrasex, NSWP, the Caribbean Network, ASWA all encouraged
funding to increase to sex worker self-organizations on a national or local level. Miriam
Edwards of the Caribbean Network summed it up simply, saying: “We must represent
ourselves.” For Andrew Hunter of APNSW, “The best thing funders can invest in is core
funding. It attracts the confidence for other funders to give groups project funding.”
However, all networks cautioned that “throwing large sums of money at a group”
without the proper assistance and capacity-building could do more damage in the long
3
Funded through the One Love sex worker organization in Guyana.
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
16
run. Elena Reynaga suggested that donors need to meet sex workers where they are and
work with them from there. Ruth Morgan Thomas lauded the Open Society Foundation
(OSF) and Mama Cash for “their flexibility, their willingness to work with us on
proposals to ensure our needs can be accommodated within their criteria” and suggested
that such openness is key to engaging with sex worker organizations:
We don’t want to be treated as exceptions but we do want them to work
with us to find out how their systems might work better for us. Sex worker
organizations run by sex workers will not often include middle-class
educated people who are used to operating in these kinds of environments.
There needs to be a willingness to engage with us, not in terms of teaching
us how to do things but working with us on systems that meet our aims
and their needs.
Andrew Hunter suggested creating two different funding tracks: one for emerging
groups and one for groups that are quite strong and developed and doing boundarypushing work:
Competitive grants have meant that different networks or groups feel that
they have to compete against each other. Instead, we could have sets of
grants for groups at different stages of development so that big groups
don’t have to push out emerging groups, so Redtrasex and APNSW aren’t
competing with a new sex worker association for money.
Investing in Improving Capacity of Sex Worker Self-Organizations
Supporting capacity for sex worker organizations was a desire expressed by many
networks: NSWP, ASWA, APNSW, SWAN, Redtrasex and the Caribbean Network. For
APNSW, the Caribbean Network and the NSWP this would involve specifically
supporting sex workers in learning to manage and run their own organizations. All of
these networks also spoke of the necessity of training sex workers in human rights
advocacy.
The NSWP hoped to organize a week-long summer activist training camp for sex
workers every year, which would teach advocacy basics, leadership skills and “English
for lobbying” for individuals with a base in English hoping to advocate within the UN
system. ICRSE similarly requested a week-long boot camp for organizations on grantwriting, lobbying and project management.
Andrew Hunter of APNSW proposed using a model that Cheryl Overs had started
in India that was reproduced by Avahan, the Gates-funded large-scale HIV-prevention
initiative in India:
One of the useful things donors could do is to fund or assist one of the
biggest sex worker groups or networks to start up a technical assistance
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
17
pool: a list of people in who can work on these issues who are part of
existing sex worker rights’ networks/groups already. There is a technical
support fund in Asia, but we don’t want individual consultants. We would
like to be able to pay a sex worker network or group, so they can afford to
send a staff person for a couple weeks. This also means that good staff can
stay at organizations, because staff is "brain drained" away to become
consultants and then organizations face the difficulties of building up
capacity all over again.
Petra Timmermans of ICRSE proposed a similar model:
If we had the core-funding and staff, we could develop a whole capacitybuilding wing (with trainings, one-on-ones…) drawing on the skills that
are in the network- including the expertise of some of the oldest sex
worker rights organizations in Europe. If we had the ability to do that, we
could even locate expertise to work within language groups.
In networks like SWAN where there are few sex worker self-organizations, the
network can play a key role in encouraging and assisting to groups to support sex
workers to self-organize or to integrate leadership positions on a local level. This can
eventually be a trampoline to leadership positions on a regional or global level.
For the NSWP, a crucial part of ensuring its long-term sustainability is ensuring
that sex workers are mentored and trained in international policy advocacy. Mentoring
under the NSWP has had a terrific impact so far. Emerging sex worker activists have
been able to accompany older activists to meetings and policy events, participate, ask
questions and learn.
Regional Human Rights Advocacy
The NSWP hoped to be able to fund policy officer positions in each region
through regional networks in order to have a well-coordinated advocacy strategy. The
ICRSE hoped to focus on regional advocacy with the vision that advances at the EU
policy level would trickle down to strengthen grass-roots groups.
SWAN hoped to retain funding for its human rights documenting project that
would include advocacy in-country and on a regional scale. Both APNSW and ASWA
felt excited that for the first time, they had proper funding to take on important advocacy
campaigns.
Regional advocacy could further feed into NSWP initiatives such as briefing
papers on different issues with a global perspective.
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
18
Legal Support
Ruth Morgan Thomas spoke of being able to build and draw upon a pool of legal
and technical experts in crisis situations, so that people aren’t scrambling to do all the
necessary research and pull responses together alone. For the APNSW, legal experts were
key to helping sex workers learn to advocate strategically for law reform. For SWAN,
they were an integral part of the envisioned human rights documenting project.
Translation
Translation was a much appreciated skill for documents and for communication
between different countries. Translation to and from English was particularly important
to facilitate networks in representing their own ideas at international events. Translation
between regional languages was also requested in Europe.
Other
SWAN requested IT and high-level advocacy trainings. APNSW hoped for the
assistance of extra staff for accounting and financial management.
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
19
III Latin America
Context
Latin America has one of the longest running sex workers’ rights movements. In
many countries, female sex workers organized on a national level as far back as the 1980
and 1990s. In Ecuador, for example, sex workers founded an association in 1982. After
successful brothel strikes in different provinces in 1990, they held their first national
meeting of Ecuadorian sex workers in 1991. Sex workers in Chile held their first national
meeting in 1995 and were at their fourth by 1999. These movements came together with
those of many other countries for the first encounter of female sex workers in Latin
America, held in 1997, which sewed the seeds for the future formation of the Redtrasex
network.
The sex worker movement has been deeply gendered in Latin America. Redtrasex
and all its members are only of female (non-trans) sex workers. Redlactrans, the network
of transgender organizations incorporates many sex workers “90% of us are sex workers”
according to coordinator Marcela Romero. However, trans groups in the region do not all
have a sex workers’ rights discourse or agenda. A number of groups advocate in defense
of trans sex workers if they are attacked but do not advocate publicly against the
penalization of sex work or for the recognition of sex work as work. This is sometimes a
strategic choice meant to deflect from more stigma, particularly if they are gaining
ground in recognition of gender identity rights or hate crimes4.
Some groups point to sex work simply as a symptom of transphobia, like many
feminists point to it as a symptom of sexism. This has in some instances, fuelled divisions
amongst sex workers. However, there have also been powerful voices for trans sex
workers’ rights. A number of grassroots associations of trans sex workers have emerged
openly as sex workers’ rights leaders, such as in Mexico and Peru. In Mexico, a national
network and in Peru, a national convening, now include sex workers of all genders. In the
Dominican Republic, female sex workers supported and assisted trans women, most of
who were sex workers, to form their own organization.
Redtrasex represents female sex worker self-organizations in 15 countries.
However, adding to the complexity of regional representation, a number of the original
national members have left including: Peru, Chile, Mexico and this summer, the Brazil
4
Given the lack of recognition for hate-crimes against sex workers, highlighting a trans woman or gay
man’s sex work can be used by opponents to discredit that an act of violence or murder was a hate-crime
against them. Sex work can be used to “explain away” an act of violence, rather than to highlight the
multiple ways in which the person was targeted. Highlighting that attacks occurred against trans sex
workers can in some instances, compromise women’s chances of gaining refugee status elsewhere (the
hate-crime is not recognized and they are known to engage in “criminal” acts). Sadly, this means that there
is a lot of masking how many hate-crimes are directed at trans and male sex workers.
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
20
national network will vote on whether it stays affiliated or not. In a complex dynamic,
Redtrasex is not a member of the Global Network, but groups from Peru, Mexico and
Brazil are NSWP members.
Very few male sex worker organizations have emerged on the continent. In the
1990s Programa Pecaçao achieved international recognition under the leadership of Paolo
Longo. In a few places, such as with Arcoiris in Honduras, progressive LGBT groups
have played an important role in denouncing human rights abuses against trans and male
sex workers and providing services. In the state of Monterrey Mexico, a new male sex
worker organization has recently been formed while in Veracruz, female and male sex
workers joined together to found an organization.
Many Latin American sex worker groups predated the HIV epidemic and were
founded in response to widespread violence, abuse and discrimination. While most, if not
all, have since incorporated HIV-related services into their activities, their bases are as
rights organizations. HIV-prevalence amongst female sex workers is relatively low in
Latin America, for instance, the prevalence is 3.6% in the Dominican Republic, although,
it rises to 9% in Honduras. However, amongst transgender women it rises to 34% in
Argentina and 32-45% in Peru. Prevalence rates amongst transgender sex workers are
generally higher. Sadly, information on the HIV-prevalence of male sex workers is very
rare. In 1989, 68% of male sex workers on the street in Brazil were HIV+.
Sex worker organizations have been critical of the rights abuses inherent in many
national HIV policies such as the widespread mandatory testing of female, and often trans
sex workers in the region. For example, sex workers in Ecuador fought for many years
and successfully won in 2008 the reversal of a mandatory testing policy. As a result, the
“testing booklet” sex workers formerly had to carry was replaced with a medicare card
giving them access to general and voluntary health care. In some countries, with
progressive national HIV policies, such as Brazil and Argentina, sex worker rights
organizations have received substantial government support for their HIV-related
initiatives. In Brazil, the Government’s partnership with the sex worker community has
been valued as key to successful HIV interventions.
Sadly, in most countries this has not proven true. As Alejandra Gil of Mexico
explains “The government values academics over us. They do not trust us. They do not
trust our knowledge around sex work and HIV. It is crazy, that they trust outside experts’
knowledge about us, over our own.” As a result, large-scale NGOs with little investment
in sex workers’ rights and little meaningful participation of sex workers have received
most HIV funding. Worse, many such NGOs have perceived sex worker self-organizing
as a threat. According to Elena Reynaga of Redtrasex:
I was asked to visit one such NGO in Honduras to meet “their” sex workers
and talk to them about their rights. They invited a hundred-some women by
telling them to come for food. They prepared just a tiny bit of rice and beans.
So, the women came for the food. But then they said to them, “You cannot eat
until you listen to Elena.” I said: “This is wrong. They came because they are
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
21
hungry, let them eat.” They took pictures of how many women they had
assembled for their donors. The women were not in a position to talk about
their rights, they had not chosen to come and do so. They were being
exploited to write up an activity for the donors – “ Look! We are working on
rights!” And the donors will be impressed because it is so technocratic, that
the focus is entirely on the quantity of women who came- not why, and not
the quality of what you are doing. So donors keep on giving the money with
no impact on the conditions women are living and working in.
Despite the advent of the Global Fund and the general trend to focus on most at-risk
populations (MARPS) in concentrated epidemics, sex worker groups in Latin America
have not been very successful in getting support. For example, as of 2008, the Global
Fund has invested $48 million in programs in the Dominican Republic – and yet, only
$20,000 was allocated to MODEMU5, the sex worker organization working across the
country (by 2010, this was still only $54, 000 USD). Furthermore, many sex workers
have felt they were being penalized for their success, by the Global Fund’s announcement
that it would not support populations with an HIV-prevalence below 5%.
Most female sex worker groups in the region survive on project funding that lasts
between 6 and 12 months. Other groups have found creative ways of staying afloat.
Davida in Brazil fundraises through its own fashion-line. APROASE in Mexico supports
its HIV-related activities through modest government support and a clinic it runs that
charges a small fee to the general public in order to be subsidized or free for sex workers.
AMMAR in Argentina receives support through foreign unions, due to its union
membership and strong ties to the labor movement. Such union support is possible for
AMMAR in part due to its stance against any kind of management in sex work. Sex work
groups that support full decriminalization of sex work, including of brothel-owners or
managers would likely encounter great difficulty availing themselves of such funding.
The large majority of groups had no staff. Some had occasional staff when project
funding allowed, while others relied on a base of committed sex worker activists.
5
MODEMU is included in more detail in the Caribbean section.
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
22
Regional Funding Summary
35 089 $6
40 748 $
Regional Average:
Sex Worker-Led Average
Grupo Estudos, Brazil (F)
CIPMAC, Brazil (F,M,T)
Arcoiris, Honduras (M,T)
Las Golondrinas, Nicaragua  (F)
OMES, Guatemala(F)
ONAEM, Bolivia(F)
Aproase, Mexico (F)
Ammar, Argentina (F)
1 135 $
3 690 $
part of 31 400 $7
17 000 $
28 800 $
45 000 $
70 000 $
80 000 $
Organizational Development
Core Funding /Spaces
The first priority for sex worker groups was core funding on a stable and continual
basis. This included basic infrastructure for many of the organizations that do not have it
(“An office/drop-in space, 2 computers, a phone line, internet”). It also included
compensation for sex workers’ time (and lost sex work earnings- “las horas caïdas”). All
of the organizations were formally registered except for one that had already submitted
its paper work. They felt that core funding was not only necessary but would allow them
to build and achieve project funding. For some groups the lack of an office that was there
own meant that they were dependent on the opening hours of other NGOs and that their
weight as political actors was undermined since they couldn’t invite politicians or highlevel officials to their space.
Human Rights Documentation / Human Rights Education
Documentation was a priority in 3 countries: Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico. All
three countries were facing human rights crises. In Honduras, 267 gay men and trans
women have been assassinated since 2005. Most of the trans women were sex workers
killed in their work places (sex work zones on the street). In Guatemala, a new antitrafficking law that conflates sex work and trafficking has led to a spike of violence due
to the closing down of safer work environments, the detention of migrant sex workers
and major barriers to accessing basic health services. In Mexico, the pretense of “fighting
trafficking” was being used as a cover to arrest many of the most vocal and activist sex
6
7
Excluding Arcoiris, that provided no exact figure.
Undeclared the exact total allocated for sex worker projects.
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
23
workers on the street. With the creation of its multi-gendered national network in 2008,
APROASE hoped to support a documentation project nationally.
Human rights education projects were priorities both for group where documenting
projects were (as a necessary complement) but also as an aim in and of itself for many
groups.
Advocacy Campaigns/Law & Policy Reform
A number of groups wanted support for advocacy in terms of political lobbying and
advocacy. This ranged from responding immediately to acts of violence to responding to
policies or laws. Some groups hoped such campaigns could be developed in conjunction
with lawyers and politicians. The Mexican Network hoped for a national meeting with
human rights experts and human rights organizations to strategize alliances for advocacy.
A number of groups hoped to launch campaigns against mandatory-testing and in favor
of general and voluntary health care. Arcoiris in Honduras is working on a campaign for
the recognition of gender identity.
Mobilization/Leadership Development
Many groups saw core funding as something that could support and complement
their efforts to fund the mobilizing and organizing sex workers in other parts of the
country. A number of groups used Redtrasex’s “A High-heeled Movement” guide as
curriculum for workshops to introduce sex workers to activism and wished for more
support to continue these.
Public Education about Sex Work
Three groups wanted support to put together projects to educate the public about
sex work.
Organizational Support
First and foremost, there was consensus throughout the self-organizations in Latin
America that they needed support through financing to hire staff and “técnicos” or
administrative support. These employees could either help train sex workers in grantwriting and administration. Specific support was requested for writing proposals to the
Global Fund. But generally, sex workers wanted to manage the organization but have the
administrative support on a permanent basis to assist with funding, accounting and other
programmatic support.
Legal Support
Sex workers requested the assistance of lawyers to help share information on their
rights under the law and in certain situations to help them understand new laws and
policies.
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
24
Psychological Support
Two sex worker organizations wanted to have psychologists who could be on hand
to support women who had just experienced violence or trauma.
IV Caribbean
Context
The sex workers’ movement is relatively new in most parts of the Caribbean. A few
notable exceptions are MODEMU in the Dominican Republic which has existed since
1993 and is part of the larger Spanish-speaking Redtrasex; APFE which has existed since
1991 in Haiti; and the Ionie Whorms Innercity Counseling Centre founded in 1991 in
Jamaica. Both APFE and MODEMU were founded with rights mandates that grew to
include HIV services. In the case of MODEMU, it was the fight against violence and
discrimination. In the case of APFE, it was through education and literacy projects for
female sex workers and advocacy against police brutality. In both these cases, they are of
female sex workers only. MODEMU is a self-organization while APFE was started by an
ally and sex workers have grown into leadership-positions in the organization while she
has remained as a manager.
The HIV-prevalence among sex workers in the region varies. In 2003, 22% of
female sex workers in Haiti were positive, a rapid decline from 63% in 1987. In Jamaica,
in 2006, 9% of female sex workers were HIV+.
Lately, many sex worker organizations have emerged in a reverse process to the
groups mentioned above: HIV services which grew to embrace a rights mandate. The
Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition has played a key role in the past couple
years in supporting such efforts by bringing together sex workers groups the region. They
have funded Miriam Edwards of One Love Sex Worker organization in Guyana to work
on coordinating the Caribbean Sex Worker Coalition.
Many members of the Coalition are loosely-formed sex worker associations that are
not registered but incubated within HIV organizations, such as the Sex Workers’
Association of Jamaica. Some of these are trying to gain autonomy and register, such as
Transgender T&T. In the case of ONELOVE in Guyana, sex workers registered and have
received funding for sensitizations on sex work health personnel and police forces. In all
of these cases, the sex workers involved need technical assistance and capacity building if
they are to set up and run an organization.
In Guyana, SASOD, an LGBT group providing services to male and trans sex
workers is part of the National Guyana Sex Work Network and has thus, been able to
support ONELOVE with capacity-building, particularly around human rights advocacy
and strategic litigation.
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
25
Most of the sex worker organizations that have emerged out of HIV groups are of
all genders, or with a primary focus on male or trans sex workers in particular (SASOD,
Saint-Lucia Harm Reduction). Saint-Lucia Harm Reduction (SLRH) has done a great
deal of work for male sex workers to be recognized. They provide shelter to male sex
workers and advocate on their behalves while providing medical services to male and
female sex workers.
The question of how to politically negotiate the over-lapping discrimination against
trans and male sex workers is complicated. SASOD has supported a number of trans
women to sue the government for being arrested under a law that prohibits crossdressing. All the women are sex workers and the law is primarily used to persecute trans
sex workers. However, to “out” this factor in the media could further stigmatize the
women and jeopardize the case.
The Ionie Whorms Innercity Counseling Centre (IWICC) in Jamaica is an HIVservice organization that provides meals, shelter (informally), treatment and support to
HIV+ and homeless sex workers and drug-users. It stands apart as a model since it is both
an HIV organization and was founded by a sex worker and drug user in 1991. Sex
workers are involved in the services for sex workers.
Regional Funding Summary
16 050 $8
13 500 $
Regional Average:
Sex Worker-Led Average:
SASOD, Guyana (M,T)
SWAJ-Ocho Rios, Jamaica  (M,T,F)
Transgender T & T, Trinidad and Tobago (T)
ONE LOVE, Guyana  (F,M,T)
IWICC, Jamaica (F,M,T)
Saint-Lucia Harm Reduction, Saint-Lucia (M,F)
MODEMU, D.R.  (F)
APFE, Haiti (F)
Maxi Linder Association, Suriname (M,T, F)
8
9
Excluding Maxi Linder, since no exact figure.
See foot note 15.
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
26
0$
0$
0$
0 $9
9, 400 $
15 000 $
54 000 $
50 000 $
Undisclosed
Organizational Development
Core-Funding/ Spaces
None of the sex workers self-organizations had core-funding. Much like the Latin
American groups, their priority was core-funding and a space in which they could hold
events and welcome sex workers or hold trainings for police, health personnel, etc.
Sensitivity Trainings
Trainings for faith based organizations, police, health care professionals and policymakers were the next most popular option. Such trainings are an important programmatic
first step that groups with few resources can successfully achieve.
Skills-trainings
In Haiti, Jamaica, Trinidad and Guyana (One Love), supplementary education and
skills-trainings were requested as a form of income-security and to support with capacity
building of the organization. Maxi Linder in Suriname requested micro-credit projects as
income-security instead. Supplementary incomes were generally requested for sex
workers who were sick or old and no longer able to make an income. In Haiti, the earth
quake and subsequent collapse of the economy and increase in women selling sex to
make a living, has made it extremely hard to earn enough money selling sex. APFE
sought alternative income projects to support sex workers through the crisis. According
to Katly Alysee “The women say to me, “Look I’ve been out doing sex work from 10
AM to 3 AM and I couldn’t get a single client. No one has the money. I am so hungry. I
don’t want to steal, so I will go out again tomorrow for 17 hours on an empty stomach
and hope to find a client, but there is just no one.” Skills-trainings were generally not
envisioned as “rehabilitation.”
Legal Services/Human Rights Projects
There were requests for both legal information services and support for strategic
litigation services. SASOD had been proceeding with strategic litigation through
enormous volunteer efforts, volunteer lawyers and volunteer academics researching the
case. Two other groups requested human rights projects, while two requested antiviolence projects. SASOD requested the funds with which to support victims of violence
to receive support, medical, social and legal assistance.
Fundraising/Grant writing Support
Almost all the groups wanted support with either grant writing or fundraising.
Legal Support
In connection with the desire for legal services, three groups requested legal
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
27
support as technical assistance.
Human Rights Documenting/Defenders
Four groups requested human rights support to build programming, One LOVE and
SASOD in Guyana, Maxi Linder in Suriname and APFE in Haiti. APFE felt they were
well-suited to develop human rights programming because they had the volunteer support
of some feminist lawyers and a bill before the Haitian parliament to end police repression
of sex workers.
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
28
V
Southern Africa
Context
Sex workers’ rights organizations began emerging in Southern Africa out of a few
HIV-service organizations taking a rights-based approach. In 1994, SWEAT in South
Africa paved the way as the project of an HIV-service organization. By 1996, it had
become its own organization, led by a male sex worker and a social worker. SWEAT has
supported sex workers to self-organize in a number of ways: firstly, under a national
association, Sisonke, that is incubated at SWEAT; and secondly by incorporating sex
workers within staff and the board at SWEAT. In the first model, sex workers are
supported and trained to run their own association. In the second, sex workers lead the
direction of the organization without having to manage and administer it.
SWEAT has further become a regional leader by organizing an African sex worker
conference, which led to the foundation of the African Sex Worker Alliance (ASWA).
ASWA funds 2 sex worker coordinators in 6 South and East African countries
(Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, South Africa and Mozambique) to develop national
sex worker associations in coalition with local rights-based groups working on sex work
issues. The movement, like SWEAT, is multi-gendered. In yet another model of
supporting sex worker self-organization, ASWA’s plan calls for its gradual turn-over to
sex workers.
Many efforts to organize in the region are nascent but have emerged with
spectacular energy in the past two years. In Namibia, sex workers have begun to meet
since 2008, at firs with the support The Rainbow Project (TRP), an LGBT organization.
In Malawi, Zimbabwe and Botswana, sex workers are been supported to create national
networks through the African Sex Worker Alliance (ASWA) and national organizations
working on rights-based approaches to HIV. These organizations have the experience of
supporting LGBT and other marginalized groups in powerful social movements.
In many places in the region, HIV-services to sex workers have had a focus on
“rehabilitation” and there is a serious lack of non-judgmental, let alone rights-based,
services for sex workers. According to many sex workers in Zambia, Namibia and
Botswana, such groups have often compounded stigma against them and their scapegoating for HIV. In the words of Paul Kasankonoma “Sex workers feel that some of the
organizations are simply exploiting them. Telling them to stop and with no meaningful
alternative to sex work.”
The toll of HIV on the sex worker community in the region is the highest in the
world. In Zambia, in 2006, 68% of female sex workers were HIV+, 60% in Hillbrow
South Africa and 73% in Katatura, Namibia. In Zambia, though there is no data available
on male sex workers, prevalence among men who have sex with men (MSM) was over
30%.
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
29
Outside of South Africa, male and transgender sex workers are not particularly
visible within organizations. According to Gift Trapence of the organization CEDEP in
Malawi, this is part a strategic choice. “With the current persecution of gay men and all
the public misunderstandings of gay men to try and explain male sex work could trigger a
large backlash against gay men and male and trans sex workers, as well as creating
confusion. We just have to be careful with the present timing though we have many male
and trans sex workers who participate in our health and rights activities.”
Many Southern African countries are largely dependent on PEPFAR to provide
treatment for AIDS. The emphasis on abstinence and fidelity as effective approaches to
HIV prevention, combined with the anti-prostitution pledge as a condition of PEPFAR
funding, have created a significant obstacle to more rights-based approaches. Large
international organizations who implement projects providing HIV and AIDS services to
sex workers very differently depending on not just the region, but the country as well. As
a result, large rights-based initiatives started by organizations like FIZIMORE, the sex
workers’ network of Madagascar, which received the 2006 Red Ribbon Award, can be
vulnerable to shifts in funding policies.
Sex workers of all genders in the region are also contending with very high and
severe rates of physical and sexual violence from law enforcement. The gravity of the
human rights situation has given a certain momentum to emerging movements.
Regional Funding Summary
39 428 $10
8 571 $
Regional Average:
Sex Worker-Led Average:
Sisonke Network Botswana  (F,M,T)
ASWA Mozambique (F,M,T)
Health Triangle, Zambia  (F)
Friends of RAINKA, Zambia  (F,M,T)
Sexual Rights Centre, Zimbabwe  (F,M,T)
CEDEP & Ntl. Net. of Sex Workers, Malawi  (F,M,T)
Yoneco Malawi (F)
100% Vida, Mozambique (F)
SWEAT, South Africa  (F,M,T)
Liatla Productions, Lesotho (F)
10
0$
0 $11
0$
0$
0 $12
60 000 $13
216 000 $
Undisclosed
Undisclosed
Undisclosed
Excluding Arcoiris as they did not provide an exact figure.
A small undisclosed amount from ASWA is paying for two part-time sex worker
coordinators of the ASWA chapter.
12
A small undisclosed amount from ASWA is paying for two part-time sex worker
coordinators of the ASWA chapter.
13
Does not include funds paid to SALC for litigation on behalf of sex workers.
11
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
30
Organizational Development
Core Funding
Core funding or funding for sex worker projects of larger organizations were
crucial issues for most groups. In Lusaka, the ground-work for programming had been
laid through initial meetings with sex workers in different parts of the country. While in
Kabwe and Kapiri Moshi, the organization Health Triangle already had active sex
workers and the skeleton of a structure. However, in both cases, there was no money to
take organizing activities further. Winstone Zulu from Health Triangle expressed the
necessity of not just funding but of capacity-building for sex workers on project
management:
The greatest need here is having well-trained personnel to run programs. For
example, every time we have found money to carry out activities on sex
worker rights we have to find a third party to do the administration for us.
Often the third party does not even believe in what we do but agrees only
because we will pay admin costs. Many donors refuse this arrangement
because it does not put the sex worker at the centre of the program but at the
same time the few attempts to fund groups directly have ended up disastrous
due to lack of skills.
I think funding to marginalized groups should consider providing technical
assistance and training to be effective. At the time when our country is
gripped by government that is anti-free press, homophobic and generally
tyrannical the need for strong civil society groups needs no emphasis.
SRC hoped to have funding for its sex work project while each of the national
networks (Botswana and Mozambique) hoped to have their own core-funding to provide
for basic office, financial sustainability and coordination of activities.
Mobilization/ National Network Development
SRC hoped to receive support for their new national sex worker network to
consolidate and strengthen it, Sisonke Botswana and ASWA Mozambique and Friends of
Rainka. Health Triangle meanwhile hoped to train 60 sex workers into a network of 10
committees able to replicate trainings in health and rights in Kabwe and Kapiri Moshi.
Eventually, Friends of Rainka and Health Triangle hoped to team up in a larger network.
Indeed for the emerging networks, core funding was very much interlocking with
mobilization and network development.
Human Rights Trainings/ Documentation Projects/ Strategic Litigation
Support for human rights education trainings was requested by all the groups except
for YONECO in Malawi and Lianla in Lesotho, and those who are already supported to
do them. In the case of ASWA-Mozambique, sex workers were working towards setting
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
31
up a hotline where they could document cases of violence and abuse and support sex
workers to respond.
In Lusaka, Zambia sex workers requested trainings to better understand the law so
they could work with lawyers to defend themselves.
CEDEP in Malawi and SRC in Zimbabwe saw a three-pronged interlinking
strategy:
1st: Activities to empower sex workers and teach them about their rights.
2nd: Documentation Projects. As Gift Trapence of CEDEP explained:
We have a lot abuses against sex workers but they are not documented,
especially in Africa. We need to document the real stories on the ground
as a documentary or a booklet. There is even more weight and power
behind it if an academic or a human rights organization does a report.
For Sian Maseko of SRC, it was through digital storytelling:
We have such a project just beginning with LGBTI14. It has a double
purpose. It gives confidence to people to have a voice and share their
stories without being too vulnerable and it helps people understand the
issues. We have a close relationship with Radio Dialogue in Bulawayo to
share the results.
3rd: Strategic Litigation. CEDEP is already involved in defending sex workers who were
arrested and forcibly tested for HIV and would like continued support for strategic
litigation. Both CEDEP and SRC would like to challenge the loitering laws used to arrest
sex workers.
They estimated that such full programming could be achieved with between 50 000 $ and
100 000 $.
Education and Linkages with Police and Health
Health Triangle in Zambia, Sisonke Botswana and ASWA-Mozambique hoped to
train police officers and possibly health personnel about sex work and rights. Health
Triangle in Zambia wanted to further consolidate links with supportive police officers
and health personnel.
Supplementary Incomes
These were requested by Health Triangle in Zambia and also by two groups who
14
The I is for intersex.
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
32
were already provided such services as one of their main activities: YONECO in Malawi
and Liatla in Lesotho.
Project/Organizational Management Support
As mentioned above, support for sex workers trying to develop their own
organizations and networks was a key concern.
Legal Support
Given the interest in strategic litigation and information about rights and the law,
lawyers were a key request.
Human Rights and Documenting Advice
This complemented the projects requested above.
VI Eastern Africa
Context
Much like Southern Africa, sex workers have been particularly highly affected by
HIV in Eastern Africa. The prevalence among female sex workers in Kenya was
estimated at 31% in 2006. Prevalence rates for MSM in Kenya were 24.5% in 20052007. There was no information on trans women or male sex workers. Similarly,
“rehabilitation” has been a large focus of interventions with female sex workers while
male and trans sex workers have largely been ignored although they may have more
recently been reached within broader MSM/LGBT outreach.
Lady Mermaid’s Bureau (LMB) and Wonetha in Uganda emerged as sex worker
self-organizations in 2002 and 2008 respectively. They have both been devoted to sex
worker health and rights services and advocacy. Lady Mermaid’s Bureau is primarily
focused on female sex workers though it has advocated on behalf of trans women sex
workers. Wonetha is comprised of female and trans sex workers and its activities are
open to sex workers regardless of gender. Both organizations have been powerful
advocacy presences. Together, they are also part of the Ugandan National Sex Worker
Coalition affiliated with ASWA.
KASH in Kenya, much like CEDEP in Malawi, is an organization offering services
to LGBT people and to sex workers. According to Tom Odhiambo, their services to men
cruising men in bars reach both male sex workers, their clients and non-sex working
MSM. KASH has found that the new democratic openness in Kenya has created
opportunities for bridge-building with institutions like the police and has sought to do so
support peer outreach workers amongst police, sex workers and the LGBT community.
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
33
ALCIS evolved as an HIV-service organization specifically for female sex workers.
The context of conflict and extreme sexual violence targeted at sex workers by state
actors put them in the role of human rights documenters, advocates and front-line
violence service-providers. Their 10 networks of over 120 sex workers in different town
reported rape and kidnappings of sex workers by police, military and para-military forces
in 2006. A solidarity fund was created to support sex workers who could not work
following acts of sexual violence or due to sickness or injury. They use theatre and a sex
worker radio program to spread their message of human rights and hope to work with
lawyers and politicians to make their vision law.
Other groups in the region are emerging such as NIKAT in Ethiopia, an HIVprevention project for sex workers supported by DKT whose work on health and rights
was awarded the 2010 Ribbon Award. Similar projects are under development in
Somaliland as well.
Regional Funding Summary
71 946 $15
33 202 $
Regional Average:
Sex Worker-Led Average:
WONETHA, Uganda 
(F,T,M)
NIKAT, Ethiopia (F) 
Lady Mermaid’s Bureau, Uganda (F,T)
KASH, Kenya (F,T,M)
SAHAN, Somaliland  (F)
ALCIS, DRC Congo (F)
14 029 $
23 077 $
27 575 $
32 000 $
62 500 $
272 500 $
Organizational Development
Core funding/salaries
Core funding was a concern for KASH, SAHAN, Wonetha and ALCIS. LMB
hoped for investments into their infrastructure such as more than one computer, a larger
office and a van for mobile outreach activities. Tom Odhiambo of KASH expressed the
difficulties of running and organization when all the staff had to maintain full-time
employment elsewhere to support themselves.
Human Rights Projects
ALCIS would like to train up a national network of sex workers to engage in
15
Excluding Arcoiris, since no exact figure.
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
34
human rights documenting and possibly strategic litigation. KASH wished to work with
lawyers to train sex workers as paralegals to inform each of their rights. Similarly,
WONETHA requested mentoring and human rights advocacy training between lawyers
and sex workers, NIKAT hoped to work on advocacy projects in order to curb violence.
In particular, they hoped to partner with worker organizations, women’s lawyer groups
and women and child police units to do so. SAHAN hoped for funding to support both
rights education and human rights documenting projects.
Sex Worker Empowerment/ Collectivisation
All groups requested different forms of capacity building. ALCIS wished to train
sex workers to consolidate a national sex worker network in Congo under their
leadership. LMB requested additional advocacy and technology training. KASH
requested scholarships to allow some sex workers to attain basic education levels which
they could use to support the organization.
Working with State Actors
KASH wished to enlarge their popular netball events to include sex workers, LGBT
people and police officers playing together to diminish stigma. They also hoped to
broaden their sensitization work to include members of the judiciary and policy makers.
NIKAT had similarly held coffee-sessions between police and sex workers and hoped to
further this work. LMB wished to work with the police to set up a position of Sex Worker
Liaison Officer (as exists in Scotland) to ensure police reported on crimes. ALCIS
planned meetings between politicians and sex workers to sensitize them to their issues.
They also hoped to produce a small booklet explaining the human rights rationale for
their demands.
Human Rights Programming/Legal Support
KASH, ALCIS and Wonetha expressed significant interest in working with
lawyers. Both ALCIS and Wonetha hoped to bring forward cases relating to violence by
state-actors. MacKlean of Wonetha expressed the need as follows: “We have volunteer
lawyers, but we are their last priority. And we see this opportunity, in this current case of
women denouncing a violent police officer. They are ready to go forward, but we are
afraid that if drags on, they might get tired and scared.”
Fundraising
Fundraising was a skill many groups requested support with.
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
35
VII South-East Asia
Context
In South-East Asia, many groups have emerged as a response to the HIV pandemic.
Some, such as Empower predate HIV however and came about as education and rights
projects, only to become deeply involved in HIV-prevention, care and support as the
epidemic took a dramatic toll on sex workers in Thailand (both Thai and migrant/refugee)
in the mid-1990s.
Most self-organized sex workers in South/East and South Asia began as peeroutreach workers of a sex work project at an HIV-service organization. In some cases,
they became independent, as transgender sex workers in Fiji are seeking to do. In others,
they came to occupy leadership positions within the organization, while administrators or
managers remained to do the work they were unable or didn’t desire to do such as in
Burma.
Recently, the U.N. Commission on AIDS in Asia report recommended the
decriminalization of sex work and same-sex relationships and the allotment of large
amounts of funding to preventing HIV-transmission in commercial sex settings.
However, as Andrew Hunter points out, many organizations have large financial stakes in
keeping funding flowing to the low-risk general population for “life-skills training with
youth” and “youth leadership camps” which they run.
Meanwhile, sex work in the region, along with South-Asia, has been a constant
target, for American abolitionist-prohibitionists. As a result, a number of transgender
groups and male sex workers receiving USAID funding do not disclose that they are sex
workers and have been reticent to associate publicly with sex workers’ rights actions.
Other groups like WNU in Cambodia, originally funded by USAID as peer educators,
and Empower Thailand, declined USAID funding.
Nonetheless, groups like PSI in Burma have been able to design and implement
wide-scale programs that include sex workers at every level under the principle of
“Nothing About Us Without Us”. Given that Community Based Organizations (CBOs)
cannot register in Burma, the group operates under PSI/Myanmar. However, it continues
to advocate on behalf of sex workers.
WNU and EMPOWER have been active in fighting against anti-trafficking laws
and policies that have led to repression, incarceration in “rehabilitation centers” and
deportation of sex workers. The APNSW has played a leading role globally in opposing
the backlash on sex workers spear-headed in large part by conservative factions in the
United States.
The majority of rights-based groups in the region are part of APNSW. Empower,
however, a founding member of APNSW, chose to leave the network and have been
involved with supporting sex workers in neighboring Burma and China as well as in a
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
36
national multi-gendered human rights education, documenting and advocacy project
“High-heeled Human Rights Defenders”.
The financial contributions of individual sex workers allowed Empower ChiangMai to purchase a larger building and open the Can-do Bar, a working co-op bar
providing model working conditions.
Regional Funding Summary
124 324 $16
159 625 $
Regional Average:
Sex Worker-Led Average:
YMKK, Indonesia
OPSI, Ntl. Net. of Sex Workers, Indonesia (F,T, M)
Sekoula Project, Pacific Counseling, Fiji (F, T, M)
Sex Worker Program, PT Foundation, Malaysia (F,T) 
Abdi Asih Foundation, Indonesia  (F, T, M)
SOA Netherlands,Vietnam (F, T, M)
Empower Foundation, Thailand (F)
PSI/Burma (F, T, M)
3 315 $
11 557 $
40 456 $
119 943 $
132 000 $
188 000 $
375 000 $
multi-million $
Organizational Development
Human Rights Documenting/Education
OPSI in Indonesia and PT in Malaysia requested support for rights education. OPSI
hoped to train sex workers in advocacy and as paralegals in order to begin a national
project to document abuses against sex workers. Sekoula in Fiji requested legal services
for information and for strategic litigation. Empower already had funding for its HighHeeled Human Rights Defenders Project but hoped for ongoing support into its projects
targeting occupational health and safety. YMKK also wished to increase rights work on
labor organizing programs.
Sensitivity Trainings
PT in Malaysia, SOA in Vietnam and OPSI in Indonesia requested support for
sensitivity trainings.
16
Excluding PSI Burma, since no exact figure.
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
37
Sex Worker Leadership/Collectivization
Both Empower and OPSI hoped to train up sex workers over the next few years to
be able to lead sex worker projects. OPSI hoped to train 80 sex workers as community
organizers every year while Empower hoped to train up 30 sex worker leaders over 4
years in all the skills necessary to manage and lead a centre.
Educational Projects for Sex Workers’ Children
PSI Burma and Abdi Asih Foundation requested funds for projects to support the
children of sex workers.
Other Programs
Aside from the responses mentioned above, there was a wide variety of other
programs mentioned. PSI Burma requested access to ARV treatment and greater services
for HIV+ sex workers. Abdi Asih requested greater HIV-prevention services and services
for sex workers in detention. Sekoula requested supplementary skills-training, while SOA
requested anti-violence projects and drop-in centers. Empower wanted greater support for
projects to support sex workers when they couldn’t work or earnings were down due to
political upheaval, natural disasters or other crises. Empower also suggested funding for
more sex worker meetings, outside of the context of HIV conferences.
Fundraising/Grant-Writing Support
Fundraising/grant-writing was a very common request. Empower expressed that
technical assistance made more sense when it came from sex workers:
It is much easier to teach sex workers to have the expertise themselves
then to teach the experts to work with sex workers. The experts often can’t
bridge the gap between themselves and sex workers.
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
38
VIII South Asia
Context
As in South-East Asia, most sex worker organizations in South-Asia emerged out
of HIV-prevention projects. Most famously, the DMSC project in Kolkata, showed that
their approach of community empowerment and labor rights allowed HIV-prevention to
be far more effective among sex workers than simply information and supplies. Research
has recently replicated their findings in India once more. Sonagachi is a project that
became directed by sex workers over-time, but that started out directed by public health
personnel. Sangram in India was started by Meena Seshu, a feminist HIV activist.
However, sex workers have since taken on leadership roles in steering the organization.
USAID anti-sex work restrictions have affected some groups in the Durjoy Nari
Shongo in Bangladesh which saw the large organization that supported them cut their
funding after signing the pledge. Sangram returned USAID funding due to its restrictions.
Companions on a Journey (COJ) have refused to work with donors that are anti-sex work:
“We have stuck to our principals and refused funding when they have specifically
mentioned sex work related restrictions.” Unfortunately, donors have also refused to
support COJ’s projects: “A negative experience has been that when we have sought
donor support for male sex worker (MSW) initiatives, donors backed off from the idea
because it is too controversial and sensitive.”
Over close to the same period, the Gates Foundation invested a great deal of money
in supporting sex worker HIV-prevention projects in India through the Avahan Network.
The network set up a technical assistance bank of resource people in different sex work
organizations in India coordinated through Sonagachi.
Also on a large scale, the architect of PSI Burma, Habib Rahman, developed a
national network of sex worker projects for sex workers of all genders and including
drug-users in Pakistan. Pakistan Society is the first group to provide services specifically
to female drug-users and sex workers
Durjoy Nari Shongo was successful in availing Global Fund support. However, the
sex workers in the organization were not sufficiently trained on the administration or
financial accounting and reporting. They hired outside consultants who allegedly,
according to a couple respondents, committed major fraud and marginalized the sex
workers within the organization. This in turn, compromises their chances of being funded
in the future through the Global Fund. This story highlights the need for proper technical
assistance and support from funders for sex worker self-organizations trying to negotiate
the complex demands of grants.
This also highlights the importance of some of the work being done by groups like
the Pakistan Society that are working towards strengthening support groups and
community based sex worker organizations to enable and empower them to work
independently.
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
39
Regional Funding Summary
Regional Average:
Sex Worker-Led Average:
251 303 $17
393 233 $18
Companions on A Journey, Sri Lanka (M) 
Sex Worker Network of Bangladesh (F, T, M)
Anon, Pakistan (F, T, M)
Anon, Pakistan (F)
MAMTA-HIMC, India (F,T,M)
SANGRAM, India  (F,T,M)
GRHF, Pakistan (F,T,M)
Pakistan Society, Pakistan (F,T,M)
Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee–DMSC  (F, T, M)
10 000 $
21 580 $
35 280 $
50 310 $
76 700 $
238 000 $
140 000 $
386 512 $
1 303 353 $
Organizational Development
Support for Mobilization/ Collectivization of Sex Workers
This was the most popular response and was mentioned by DMSC, Sangram,
Pakistan Society and the Bangladeshi National Network. It was also the major program
support requested by Companions on a Journey. Specifically, they hoped for support to
have a meeting to solidify a network of male sex workers and skills-training for a coregroup of male sex worker to run the network and its programs.
Human Rights Projects
DMSC and the Bangladesh National Network requested support for human rights
programming. DMSC hoped to receive funding for strategic litigation and both
organizations wanted technical support to build human rights programming. The
Bangladesh National Network listed many of the human rights abuses and the social
segregation sex workers were facing and appealed to donors to: “Please address these
issues with a high priority.”
The DMSC highlighted that one of the hardest programs to get financial support for
was the Self-Regulatory Boards (SRBs), a sex worker-led model for preventing violence,
including trafficking. The SRBs have been touted as an international human rights best
practice and have helped assist more women in conditions of forced labor in the sex trade
17
Excluding PSI Burma, since no exact figure.
However, note the large discrepancy between DMSC & Sangram and Sex Worker
Network of Bangladesh and Companions on a Journey.
18
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
40
than the entire U.S. government has in the US. The lack of support of such a welldocumented human rights initiative is perhaps an interesting indicator of the availability
of human rights funding.
HIV and STI Prevention Services
Somewhat surprisingly given that all groups received HIV-prevention funding,
prevention of HIV and STIs was mentioned by two groups: SANGRAM and GRHF.
Treatment for HIV+ Sex Workers
Treatment was also mentioned as a challenge, in particular for sex workers with
HIV, TB or hepatitis by Pakistan Society and by GRHF. One of the anonymous
respondents from Pakistan requested medical services for treatment of HIV and STIs.
Mentoring/Leadership Training
This was the most popular choice of respondents. It also included skills-building of
sex workers in the process of organizing their own networks, as was requested by COJ.
Fundraising Support
Fundraising was also a recurring identified option.
Support for Legal Service Development
Finally, both HIMTA and the two groups that chose not to be named in Pakistan
hoped to develop legal services within their organizations for information and in the case
of one group from Pakistan, for strategic litigation.
Peer-to-peer Technical Assistance
This was specifically mentioned by COJ. In particular, they mentioned that
groups in India had developed program support, leadership-training and micro-credit
projects that they would like to emulate with male sex workers. (COJ as a broad MSM
group already received technical support through the SAMAN network of the Global
Fund and ICOMP. However, this was on general MSM programming and not specific to
male sex work interventions and issues). A similar network of technical assistance for
female and trans sex work projects exists in Pakistan under the leadership of the GRHF.
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
41
IX Non-Focus Regions
Context
Respondents were from 12 different countries. All funded groups received money
linked to HIV and STI-prevention. Many groups also received funding for support
services. Only 2 groups out of 18 reported funding for rights work. These were in Italy
and France. The French group, PASTT, reported a 33% funding cut the previous year.
Funding Summary
Regional Average:
Sex Worker-Led Average:
197 486 $
219 168 $
Central and Eastern Europe/Central Asia
Kompas, Russia  (F)
Anonymous, Turkmenistan (M,F)
115 182 $
45 000 $
East Asia
Action for Reach Out, Hong Kong (F,T)
Zi Teng, Hong Kong (F)
231 668 $
Undisclosed
North America
Coalition for the Rights of Sex Workers, Canada  (F, T, M)
PACE, Canada (F, T, M)
Stella, Canada  (F, T)
The Naked Truth, Canada  (F, T, M) Web-based
0$
176 563 $
400 000 $
-5000 $
Western Africa
Direction de la Famille et de l’Education de la Jeune Fille,
Togo (F)
Noustous Danané, Ivory Coast (F)
Renaissance Santé Bouaké, Ivory Coast (F, M)
Western Europe
Aspasie, Switzerland  (F, T, M)
CATS, Spain (F, T, M)
Hetaira, Spain (F, T, M)
Comitato per I diritti civilly delle prostitute, Italy  (F)
Metro, Britain (F,T, M)
PASTT, France  (F, T)
German-Language Network of Sex Workers On-line,
Austria, Switzerland, Germany  (F, T, M) Web-based
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
42
Undisclosed
20 495 $
294 000 $
663 127 $
307 840 $
125 695 $
301 967 $
233 535 $
320 670 $
0$
Organizational Development
Labour Organizing
Seven groups desired support for projects that involved labour organizing and
liaising with labour organizations. These were particularly popular with groups in Europe
and Canada.
Core Funding
Core-funding was a priority for 6 organizations.
Sensitization Trainings
Trainings with institutional actors to diminish discrimination were a funding
priority for 5 groups.
Other
The other categories that were chosen by 3 groups were: drop-in centres, antiviolence projects, strategic litigation, human rights defender project, complementary
skills-training and medical treatment. Skills-training was the selected by groups
operating in Africa who already operated such projects. Medical treatment was similarly
a priority in Africa and Turkmenistan. A number of groups in Canada and Hong Kong
specified that they wanted support for campaigns for decriminalization.
Fundraising Support
This was the most common request.
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
43
Overview of Total Funding
(2009)
Networks
NSWP
APNSW
SWAN
ICRSE
Caribbean Network19
French African Network
ASWA
Redtrasex
569 700 $
203 000 $
150 000 $
26 800 $
24 100 $
0$
Undisclosed
135 000 $
Latin America
35 089 $20
40 748 $
Regional Average:
Sex Worker-Led Average
Grupo Estudos, Brazil (F)
CIPMAC, Brazil (F,M,T)
Arcoiris, Honduras (M,T)
Las Golondrinas, Nicaragua  (F)
OMES, Guatemala(F)
ONAEM, Bolivia(F)
Aproase, Mexico (F)
Ammar, Argentina (F)
1 135 $
3 690 $
part of 31 400 $21
17 000 $
28 800 $
45 000 $
70 000 $
80 000 $
Caribbean
16 050 $22
13 500 $
Regional Average:
Sex Worker-Led Average:
19
Funded through the One Love sex worker organization in Guyana.
Excluding Arcoiris, since no exact figure.
21
Undeclared how much for sex worker projects.
20
22
Excluding Maxi Linder, since no exact figure.
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
44
SASOD, Guyana (M,T)
SWAJ-Ocho Rios, Jamaica  (M,T,F)
Transgender T & T, Trinidad and Tobago (T)
ONE LOVE, Guyana  (F,M,T)
IWICC, Jamaica (F,M,T)
Saint-Lucia Harm Reduction, Saint-Lucia (M,F)
MODEMU, D.R.  (F)
APFE, Haiti (F)
Maxi Linder Association, Suriname (M,T, F)
0$
0$
0$
0 $23
9, 400 $
15 000 $
54 000 $
50 000 $
Undisclosed
Southern Africa
39 428 $24
8 571 $
Regional Average:
Sex Worker-Led Average:
Sisonke Network Botswana  (F,M,T)
ASWA Mozambique (F,M,T)
Health Triangle, Zambia  (F)
Friends of RAINKA, Zambia  (F,M,T)
Sexual Rights Centre, Zimbabwe  (F,M,T)
CEDEP & Ntl. Net. of Sex Workers, Malawi  (F,M,T)
Yoneco Malawi (F)
100% Vida, Mozambique (F)
SWEAT, South Africa  (F,M,T)
Liatla Productions, Lesotho (F)
0$
0 $25
0$
0$
0 $26
60 000 $27
216 000 $
Undisclosed
Undisclosed
Undisclosed
Eastern Africa
71 946 $28
33 202 $
Regional Average:
Sex Worker-Led Average:
WONETHA, Uganda 
(F,T,M)
14 029 $
23
See foot note 15.
Excluding Arcoiris, since no exact figure.
25
A small undisclosed amount from ASWA is paying for two part-time sex worker
coordinators of the ASWA chapter.
26
A small undisclosed amount from ASWA is paying for two part-time sex worker
coordinators of the ASWA chapter.
27
Does not include funds paid to SALC for litigation on behalf of sex workers.
28
Excluding Arcoiris, since no exact figure.
24
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
45
NIKAT, Ethiopia (F) 
Lady Mermaid’s Bureau, Uganda (F,T)
KASH, Kenya (F,T,M)
SAHAN, Somaliland  (F)
ALCIS, DRC Congo (F)
23 077 $
27 575 $
32 000 $
62 500 $
272 500 $
South-East Asia
124 324 $29
159 625 $
Regional Average:
Sex Worker-Led Average:
YMKK, Indonesia
OPSI, Ntl. Net. of Sex Workers, Indonesia (F,T, M)
Sekoula Project, Pacific Counsellin, Fiji (F, T, M)
Sex Worker Program, PT Foundation, Malaysia (F,T) 
Abdi Asih Foundation, Indonesia  (F, T, M)
SOA Netherlands,Vietnam (F, T, M)
Empower Foundation, Thailand (F)
PSI/Burma (F, T, M)
3 315 $
11 557 $
40 456 $
119 943 $
132 000 $
188 000 $
375 000 $
multi-million $
South Asia
251 303 $30
393 233 $31
Regional Average:
Sex Worker-Led Average:
Companions on A Journey, Sri Lanka (M) 
Sex Worker Network of Bangladesh (F, T, M)
Anon, Pakistan (F, T, M)
Anon, Pakistan (F)
MAMTA-HIMC, India (F,T,M)
SANGRAM, India  (F,T,M)
GRHF, Pakistan (F,T,M)
Pakistan Society, Pakistan (F,T,M)
Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee–DMSC  (F, T, M)
10 000 $
21 580 $
35 280 $
50 310 $
76 700 $
238 000 $
140 000 $
386 512 $
1 303 353 $
Non-Focus Regions
Regional Average:
201 921 $
29
Excluding PSI Burma, since no exact figure.
Excluding PSI Burma, since no exact figure.
31
However, note the large discrepancy between DMSC & Sangram and Sex Worker
Network of Bangladesh and Companions on a Journey.
30
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
46
Sex Worker-Led Average:
219 168 $
Central and Eastern Europe/Central Asia
Kompas, Russia  (F)
115 182 $
Anonymous, Turkmenistan (M,F)
45 000 $
East Asia
Action for Reach Out, Hong Kong (F,T)
Zi Teng, Hong Kong (F)
231 668 $
Undisclosed
North America
Coalition for the Rights of Sex Workers, Canada  (F, T, M)
PACE, Canada (F, T, M)
Stella, Canada  (F, T)
The Naked Truth, Canada  (F, T, M) Web-based
0$
176 563 $
400 000 $
-5000 $
Western Africa
Direction de la Famille et de l’Education de la Jeune Fille,
Togo (F)
Noustous Danané, Ivory Coast (F)
Renaissance Santé Bouaké, Ivory Coast (F, M)
Undisclosed
20 495 $
294 000 $
Western Europe
Aspasie, Switzerland  (F, T, M)
CATS, Spain (F, T, M)
Hetaira, Spain (F, T, M)
Comitato per I diritti civilly delle prostitute, Italy  (F)
Metro, Britain (F,T, M)
PASTT, France  (F, T)
German-Language Network of Sex Workers On-line,
Austria, Switzerland, Germany  (F, T, M) Web-based
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
47
663 127 $
307 840 $
125 695 $
301 967 $
233 535 $
320 670 $
0$
Organizations Contacted
Networks Contacted
Industriadelsexo (Latin Languages, mostly Latin America and Southern Europe)
Tdsfrancophones (Francophone Diaspora: Caribbean, Africa, Europe, Canada).
ICRSE (Europe)
IUSW (primarily Europe)
Redtrasex List (Latin America)
NSWP List (International)
NSWP-North America and Caribbean List-Serv
SWAN List (CEE/CA)
Anglophone African List
Francophone African List (contacted individually).
Global Working Group on Sex Work and HIV Policy
Donors/ Broad Networks Contacted
Aids Alliance
Amfar
Care
Caritas
DKT
Ford Foundation
Heartland
Human Rights Watch Health Program
ICASO
ICW
International Planned Parenthood Federation
Médecins du Monde
Médecins Sans Frontières
PSI
UNFPA
Participants from the December 2009, Donor Dialogue meeting in Amsterdam
AidsFond
American Jewish World Service
Comic Relief
Central American Women’s Connection
Emergency Action Fund
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
48
Global Fund for Women
HIVOS
Levi Strauss Foundation
MamaCash
OSF-EA
OSF-SHARP
OSISA
Respondents
Networks
NSWP
Asia Pacific Network of Sex Work Projects
Anglophone African Network
Francophone African Network
Redtrasex
Redlactrans
North American + Caribbean Regional Hub of NSWP
Caribbean Network of Sex Workers
Networks/ Regional Representatives in NSWP: Individuals Interviewed
Ruth Morgan Thomas, NSWP
Elena Reynaga, Redtrasex/ AMMAR, Argentina
Aliya Rakhmetova, SWAN
Marcela Romero, Redlactrans
Jennifer Clamen, Representative for NSWP: North American and Caribbean Hub
Alphonse Ombeni Mihigo, African Representative for NSWP/ALCIS, Congo DRC
Eric Harper, Anglophone African Network HQ/SWEAT
Marie Denou, Francophone African Network HQ/ Danaya So
Miriam Edwards, Caribbean Network of Sex Workers, Representative for NSWP: North
American and Caribbean Hub
Andrew Hunter, APNSW
Groups Consulted by Region
Caribbean
Surveys
MODEMU, Dominican Republic
One Love Sex Worker Association, Guyana
SASOD, Guyana
APFE, Haiti
Ionie Whorms Innercity Counseling Centre, Jamaica
Caribbean Harm Reduction Coalition, Saint-Lucia
Maxi Linder Association, Suriname
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
49
Interviews
Miriann Gonzalez, MODEMU, Dominican Republic
Miriam Edwards, One Love Sex Worker Association, Guyana
Joel Simpson, SASOD, Guyana
Kettly Alysee, APFE, Haiti
Princess Brown and Ava Neil, Jamaica Sex Workers Association
Spencer Rodriguez, Trinidad and Tobago, Transgender T & T
Latin America
Surveys
ONAEM, Bolivia
CIPMAC, Brazil
Grupo de Estudos sobre Trabalho, Brazil
APROASE, Mexico
Las Golondrinas, Nicaragua
Interviews
Elena Reynaga, AMMAR, Argentina
Evelia Yucra, ONAEM, Bolivia
Yanira Tobar, Mujeres en Superacion (OMES), Guatemala
Gustavo, Arcoiris, Honduras
Alejandra Gil, APROASE, Red Mexicana, Mexico
Fany Torres, Las Golondrinas, Nicaragua
Southern Africa
Surveys
Liatla Productions, Lesotho
YONECO, Malawi
Pathfinder of Mozambique, Mozambique
EnVision Zambia
Health Triangle, Zambia
Interviews
Tosh, Sisonke Botswana, Botswana
Gift Trapence, CEDEP, Malawi
Laila, ASWA of Mozambique, Mozambique
Eric Harper, SWEAT, South Africa
Paul Kasonkonoma, Friends of Rainka, Zambia
Winstone Zulu, Health Triangle, Zambia
Sian MaskekoSexual Rights Centre, Zimbabwe
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
50
Eastern Africa
Surveys
ALCIS, Congo DRC
Nikat, Ethiopia
KASH, Kenya
SAHAN, Somaliland
WONETHA, Uganda
Interviews
Alphonse Mihigo, ALCIS, DRC
Kyoma Macklean,WONETHA, Uganda
Tom Odhiambo, KASH, Kenya
Sanyu Hajarah, Lady Mermaid Bureau, Uganda
South Asia
Survey
Sex Workers Network of Bangladesh, Bangladesh
MAMTA-HIMC, India
SANGRAM, India
Anonymous, Pakistan
Anonymous, Pakistan
Gender and Reproductive Health Forum, Pakistan
Interviews
Bharati Dey, Sonagachi Project, India
Saleem Azam, Pakistan Society, Pakistan
Sagara Palihawadana, Companions on a Journey, Sri Lanka
South East Asia
Survey
Sekoula Project run by Pacific Counseling and Social Services, Fiji
Yayasan Mitra Kesehatan dan Kamanusiann, YMKK, Indonesia
Abdi Asih Foundation, Indonesia
Sex Worker Program, PT Foundation, Malaysia
SOA Nederlands, Pilot Project, Vietnam
Interviews
Habib Rahman, PSI-Burma
Ferraldo Saragi, OPSI, Indonesia
Liz Hilton, Empower Chiang Mai, Thailand
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
51
Groups Outside of Focus Region
Surveys
Metro, Britain
Coalition for the Rights of Sex Workers, Canada
Stella, Canada
PACE, Canada
Action for Reach Out, Hong Kong
Zi Teng, Hong Kong
Comitato per I diritti civilly delle prostitute, Italy
Renaissance Santé Bouaké, Ivory Coast
Noustous Danané, Ivory Coast
PASTT, France
Club Silver Rose, Humanitarian Action, Russia
CATS, Spain
Hetaira, Spain
Aspasie, Switzerland
Direction de la Famille et de l’Education de la Jeune Fille, Togo
Anonymous, Turkmenistan
Web-based Groups:
The Naked Truth, Canada
German-language Network of Sex Workers On-line, Austria, Switzerland, Germany
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
52
Sex Workers’ Rights Organizations
Networks
Sex Worker Networks
Global
Global Network of Sex Work Projects (NSWP) 
Ruth Morgan Thomas
72 Newhaven Road, Edinburgh EH6 5QG, Scotland UK
+44 (0)131 553 2555
secretariat@nswp.org
www.nswp.org
Regional
African Sex Worker Alliance (ASWA) 
Eric Harper
SWEAT
Capetown, South Africa
Community House
41 Salt River Road
Salt River 7925
Cape Town South Africa
Postal Address: P. O. Box 373 Salt River 7924
+ 021-448-7875
sweat@sweat.org.za
Réseau Projets Travail du Sexe Afrique Francophone
Marie Denou
Danaya So (Siège)
BPE: E62, Rue 14 / Porte 1220
Bamako, MALI
+223-20-215321
danayaso@danayaso.org
Asia Pacific Network of Sex Work Projects (APNSW) 
Andrew Hunter
Bangkok, Thailand
apnswbkk@gmail.com
http://apnswdollhouse.wordpress.com/
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
53
International Committee on the Rights of Sex Workers in Europe
(ICRSE)
Petra Timmermans
P.O. Box 51319
Amsterdam, 1007 EH
Netherlands
+31 (0) 20 693-1300
info@sexworkeurope.org
www.sexworkeurope.org
Red de Mujeres Trabajadoras Sexuales de LatinoAmerica y el Caribe
(RedTraSex) 
Elena Reynaga
Independencia 766
C1099 AAU /CABA / Argentina
+54 (11) 4361 0092
presidencia@redtrasex.org.ar
www.redtrasex.org.ar
(female sex workers only)
Caribbean Sex Worker Network 
Miriam Edwards
One Love Sex Worker Organization
Guyana
592-651-0881
Miriam.passion@yahoo.com
Trans Networks
RedLacTrans
Marcela Romero
Argentina
+54-11-5032-6335
marcelaromero_40@yahoo.com.ar
www.redlactrans.org.ar
Asia Pacific Trans Network (APTN)
Ms. Sitthiphan (Hua) Boonyapisomparn, Coordinator
Thailand
+6626120365
huab2007@gmail.com
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
54
South Asia
Bangladesh
National:
Sex Workers Net work of Bangladesh. 
swnob2002org@yahoo.com.
www.swnob.com
(includes 29 sex worker organizations, sex workers of all genders)
Durjoy Nari Shango 
Shahanaz Begum, President
Nazma Begum, General Secretary
122 PC Culture Housing Society, Road no. 1, Block- Ka
Mohammadpur, Dhaka-1207
0088 02 9116292, 8801819404850 (mobile)
durjoy.98@gmail.com
Local:
India
National:
Indian Network of Sex Workers  (See DMSC below for up-todate member contacts).
Local:
Belgaum Integrated Rural Development Society (BIRDS) –
birds1@sancharnet.in
(working to support collectives of female sex workers)
DMSC-Sonagachi 
Bharati Dey
12/5 Nilmoni Mitra Street, Kolkata, 70006
+91-33-2543-7560, 7451
sonagachi@sify.com
(sex workers of all genders)
Samabhavana Society (SS)
samabhav@samabhavanasociety.org, samabhav@vsnl.com,
samabhav@samabhavana.org
(male sexworkers and MSM)
Sangama
sangama@sangama.org, sangama@vsnl.net
(working with movements of sex workers. PLWA, sexual
minorities)
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
55
South India AIDS Action Programme (SIAAP)
Tamil Nadu
shyamala@siaapindia.org, vinod@siaapindia.org,
lalitha@siaapindia.org, indu@siaapindia.org
(HIV services fo female sex workers and MSM)
Karnatka Sex Workers’ Union  (F,T, M)
c/o SANGAMA
Sangama (F, T, M)
Number 9, ABABIL Patil Cheluvappa Street
JC Nagar (MR Palya)
Bangalore - 06
23438840/ 43
sangama@sangama.org
Sex Workers’ Forum Kerala  (F,T, M)
Sbhash Thottiparambil
subhashcareandshare@rediffmail.com, swfk@asianetindia.com
Velugu Rekha Mahila Seva Samakhya  (F)
c/o CHANGES below
Women's Initiation for Sustainable Empowerment (WISE)  (F)
c/o CHANGES below
CHANGES, (Community Health Awareness and (F)
Natural Green Environment Society)
2-59/A, Anjaneya Nagar.
Opp. 3 APSP, Kakinada- 533 005
East Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh
Women’s Initiatives, WINS  (F)
6-8-1017 NGO Colony, K.T. Road,
Tirupati,
Andhra Pradesh, 517 507 08574-30607
(supports sex worker collectives)
South India Positive Network (F, T, M)
E5, Jagannathan Salai,
Periyar Nagar, Chennai – 600 082.
Tamil Nadu, India.
91-44-25503163/64/65
9444012617
sip_noori@yahoo.com , sipplus@gmail.com
(support for 1700 positive trans women, support for organizing sex
workers)
MAMTA-HIMC
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
56
Ramesh Babu
New Delhi
011-2922-0210, 2022-0220
(Interventions with female sex workers in Mewat, Haryana)
SANGRAM 
Meena Seshu
Sangli, Maharashtra
912332312191
meenaseshu@yahoo.com
Sanghamitra 
Maya Lama, President,: c/o Diane Cross
Mumbai
91 22 23 89 08 83/23 89 43 75
diane@psi.org.in or Shilpa Merchant, State Director, PSI,
Nepal
National:
Blue Diamond Society 
Sunil Babu Pant
Kathmandu
4000147
bluediamondsociety@yahoo.com
(male and trans sex workers)
Kamal Bahadur Rokaya 
Tikapur, Kailali
Tel: 091-560322
Fax: 091-560257 kamal_rokaya@yahoo.com
(female sex workers and sex workers’ children)
Pakistan
National:
Gender Reproductive Health Forum
Mirza Aleem Baig
Karachi
grhf_alim@yahoo.com
(Operations in Karachi. Provision of Technical Support to sex
worker groups across the country. Female and trans (hijra) sex
workers.)
Local:
Akash
Dr.Ishrat
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
57
Hyderabad-Sindh
drishrat44@gmail.com
Pak Plus Society
Ms. Shukria Gul
Faisalabad – Punjab
infopakplus@gmail.com
Mehran Welfare Trust Sindh
Punjal Sangi
Larkana – Sindh
mehran_trust_larkana@yahoo.com
Pakistan Village Development Program
Ms. Nosheen Malik
Peshawar
nosheemalik@gmail.com
SOCIO Pakistan
Mr. Amanullah Kakar
Quetta -Baluchistan
sociopak@gmail.com / sociopak@yahoo.com
Sri Lanka
Companions On A Journey 
Sagara Palihawadana
2/43, Walauwatte Road,
Gangodavila, Nugegoda
+94(0)114851535 / 4857575
coj@wow.lk
www.aidsline.org
(male sex workers network in Colombo set up in 2002 and being
re-set up in 2009)
Local:
South/East Asia
Burma
National:
PSI/Myanmar 
Habib Rahman
habibpsi@gmail.com
(no CBOs allowed in Burma operate through PSI/Myanmar
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
58
18 project sites)
Cambodia
Women’ Network for Unity (WNU) 
Pisey Ly
#1, Sisowath quay, Sangkat Srah Chok, Khan Daun Penh, Phnom
Penh, Cambodia.
PO.Box 883
(+855) 012 222 171/+855-12-288-138
womensnetwork@womynsagenda.org, forcechange@gmail.com
http://www.wnu.womynsagenda.org/home.html
(female and trans sex workers)
Local:
Fiji
National:
SAN Network 
333 Waimanu Road,
Suva, Fiji.
Sheena or Maggie
+679- 3314363, +679-9201705
sanfiji@gmail.com
Sheena (Trans Coord.) sheenamanikiwai@yahoo.com
Margaret Khan (Female Coord.) kouhena.margaret@gmail.com
(female and trans sex workers)
Local:
Sekoula Project, Pacific Counseling and Social Services
Western and Northern Division of Fiji
+679 665 0483
(sex workers of all genders, are capacity building Pacific
Rainbow, a sex worker organization to carry out outreach)
Pacific Rainbow
(See Sekoula Project above)
Indonesia:
National:
OPSI (National Indonesian Sex Worker Organization) 
Aldo
seknas.opsi@gmail.com, aldo.opsinasional@gmail.com,
peace_aldo_75@yahoo.com
(sex workers of all genders, 30 representatives in 17 provinces).
Local:
Abdi Asih Foundation 
Liliek Sulistyowati
Surabaya East Java
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
59
62-31-5670-749
(female sex workers)
Pusaka Padang
Padang
pusakapadang@yahoo.com
Yayasan Mitra Kesehatan dan Kemanusiaan/ YMKK
Health and Humanity Foundation
Community Training and Learning Center
Mini Town Centre (Panasera) Block 2 #03-05
Kawasan Industri Batamindo-Mukakuning
Batam
+062 770 611066
wagnerlola@hotmail.com
(female sex workers)
Yayasan Pelangi Kasih Nusantara
Jln Bangau III F9/3, Jatibening Bekasi, Jakarta,
(62-21) 848-0017
(male sex workers)
Program Keluarga Berencana Indonesia (PKBI)
(HIV prevention, advocacy for high-risk groups)
Malaysia
Local:
Sex Workers Program, PT Foundation Mak Nyah (Trans and
Transexual) 
Rina, Program Manager
No. 326 - 328, 3rd Floor, Wisma TanCom,
Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, 50100
Kuala Lumpur
+ (60) 3 2697 0633
ptf@ptfmalaysia.org
http://www.ptfmalaysia.org
(female and trans sex workers)
Papua New Guinea
National:
Friends of Frangipani, National Sex Worker Organizaiton
Ms Daera Lahui,
PO Box 512 Port Moresby, NCD, PNG
+675 311 2575
friendsfrangipani@gmail.com
(Sex workers of all genders supported through Scarlet Alliance
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
60
Australian Sex Worker Organization:
ipo.png@scarletalliance.org.au)
Thailand:
Local:
Empower Foundation 
Chantawipa Apisuk
noi@empowerfoundation.org
(eleven drop-in centres across the country and support for sex
worker groups in Burma, Yunnan and Laos)
MPlus
Ajaan Tor
mplus_msm@hotmail.com
(MSM,trans and sex worker issues)
SISTERS 
(trans sex workers in Patpong and Pattaya)
SWING Surang Janyam
surangjanyam@yahoo.com
(male and trans sex workers)
SHARE (sex worker health rights)
Boonthom Chanakan (hardly any english)
boonthomchanakan@hotmail.com
Andaman Power
(male sex workers)
Vietnam:
Local:
Pilot Project- “Move Forward”
c/o SOA Aids Nederland
020-6262-669
mridder@soaaids.nl
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
61
Latin America
Argentina
National:
Asociación de Mujeres Meretrices de la Argentina (AMMAR) 
Elena Reynaga
Piedras 1067, C1070AAU,
Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
Tel: +54 (11) 4307 8100/ 4342 0574
ammar@ammar.org.ar
(female sex workers)
Asociación de Travestis, Transexuales y Transgénero de la
Argentina (ATTTA) 
Marcela Romero
Argentina
+54-11-5032-6335
pagina@attta.org.ar
marcelaromero_40@yahoo.com.ar
www.attta.org.ar
(trans sex workers)
Bolivia
National:
ONAEM 
Evelia Yucra
+591-7248-2846
Bolivia.onaem@gmail.com
(female sex workers)
Fundacion Redvihda –
nacionalflorida@yahoo.com.ar, fundacion@redvihda.org
(Education/awareness raising, lobby, court cases for PLWA, many
of which are MSM and sex workers)
Brazil
National:
Rede Brasilera de Prostitutas
(national network of female sex workers coordinated through
Davida)
Local:
DAVIDA 
Gabriela Leite
Av. Passos 7 c- Centro
Rio de Janeiro
+(21)3298-5850
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
62
davida@davida.org.br
Below is a list of all the current members of the Rede. Up to date
contact information is available through Davida.
Vitória Régia 
Sao Paolo
GAPA Minas 
Minas Gerais
APROSMIG 
Minas Gerais
NEP 
Porto Alegre
Grupo Liberdade 
Curitiba – PR
Aprosvi 
Vale do Itajaí
Aprosi 
Foz do Iguaçu
DASSC 
Corumba
Aprosba 
Bahia
Dona Flor 
Maceió – AL
APPS 
Penambuca
ASP 
Aracaju
APROS-PB 
Paraiba
APROS-PB 
Campina Grande
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
63
Aprosma 
Maranhão
Gempac 
Estado do Para
Ampsap 
Estado do Amapa
Núcleo Rosa Vermelha 
Manaus
As Amazonas 
Manaus
Chile
National:
Sindicato Nacional Independiente de Trabajadoras Angela Lina
Marcia Poblete Olguín
Teatinos 251. Piso 9. Oficina 903 – A. Santiago
sindicato.angelalina@gmail.com
s_angelalina@yahoo.es
s_angelalina@hotmail.com
562 6883552/08 9392354
www.angelalina.cl
(female sex workers)
Sindicato de Trabajadoras Independientes Travestis
"AFRODITA"
afroditasindicato@hotmail.com
(trans sex workers)
Colombia
Asociación de Mujeres Buscando Libertad (ASMUBULI) 
Fidelia Suarez
fideliasuarez226@hotmail.com
(0057) 3127804509
(female sex workers)
Costa Rica
La Sala 
Grettel Quiroz Pastrana/ Nubia Ordoñez
costarica2@redtrasex.org.ar, costarica1@redtrasex.org.ar
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
64
(506) 88-86-68-61 / 22-58-64-25
(female sex workers)
Ecuador
National:
Red de Trabajadoras Sexuales de Ecuador 
Elisabeth Molina
ecuador1@redtrasex.org.ar
(female sex workers in 15 organizations in different cities)
Local:
Colectivo Flor de Azalea 
Karina Bravo
Machala
094971034
Colectivoflordeazalea@yahoo.com
Karinabravo200@yahoo.com
(female sex workers)
Girasoles en acción 
Leticia Esther Macias
redtrabsexgirasoles@yahoo.com
(593) 86180622
(female sex workers)
Asociación de Trabajadoras Sexuales Trans La Y 
c/o Jerónimo Leiton N23-80 y Av. La Gasca, Quito
+(593) 99 38 38 61
info@proyecto-transgenero.org
(trans sex workers)
Fundación Amigos por la Vida
Pedro Carbo 1106 y Colón, 10mo. piso
Guayaquil
+(59 34) 32 97 58
famivida@yupimail.com
(trans and male sex workers)
Asociación Pro Defensa de la Mujer (ASOPRODEMU) 
Espejo 710 y Montúfar, centro histórico
(02) 228-0849, 098371614
asoprodemu@hotmail.com
(female sex workers)
Asociación Primero de Agosto, Guayaquil 
Julián Coronel y José Mascote
Sector norte, diagonal al cementerio general
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
65
(04) 239-2567, 097143271
(female sex workers)
Asociación 5 de junio, Quevedo 
Av. Walter Andrade, Ciudadela La Loma
Centro Profiláctico, C.P
(05) 2763-071, 095134372
mujereslibres4@hotmail.com
(female sex workers)
Asociación de Mujeres de Milagro 
Avenida 17 de Septiembre, centro de salud # 3
0993151044, 099528434
asomujeresmilagro@hotmail.com
(female sex workers)
Asociación 21 de Septiembre, Esmeraldas 
10 de Agosto, entre Colón y Eloy Alfaro
(06) 2711-817
mujeresvidasaludable@yahoo.com
(female sex workers)
Asociación Barbys, Santo Domingo de los Colorados 
Avenida Quito y Sáchila
099976348
Asociación 15 de Marzo, Ambato 
13 de Abril y Residencial Las Acacias
097075487
(female sex workers)
El Salvador
Asociación Orquídeas del Mar 
Haydee Laínez/ Consuelo Raymundo
mmorquideasdelmar@yahoo.com/elsalvador1@redtrasex.org.ar
+503- 7554-2835/ 2534-1742
(female sex workers)
Guatemala
National:
Organización de Mujeres en Superación (OMES) 
Yanira Tobar
omesmts@yahoo.com.mx
(502) 5313-4274
(female sex workers in 5 cities)
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
66
Organización Trans Reinas de la Noche 
Johana Esmeralda Ramirez
6e Calle 14-17, Zona 1 Edificio Tikel, Oficina 309
Ciudad de Guatemala
502-5200-8017
johanaesmeraldaramirez@yahoo.com
(trans sex workers)
Local:
Honduras
Local:
Arcoiris
Gustavo Guzmán
5014- 99-49-07-26/ 263-3751
arcoirisghn@yahoo.com
(LGBT group with trans sex worker participants)
Coordinadora de Grupos de Autoapoyo de Tegucigalpa
(PLHIV Group that includes sex workers as participants)
Mexico
National:
Coalicion Mexicana de Trabajadoras-es del Sexo 
(National network that includes trans and male sex worker groups.
Same contacts as APROASE below.)
Local:
APROASE 
Alejandra Gil
Melchor Ocampo 212-504, Col. Cuauhtémoc
C.P. 06500 México DF, México
aproase@yahoo.com
(female sex workers)
Fortaleciendo la Diversidad (FID) 
Jennifer Jasso Aguilar
San Luis Potosi
(444) 8 22 59 67
(444) 8 15 10 62
fid-ac@hotmail.com
(trans sex workers)
Transgénero Hidalgo 
Karen Quintero
(trans sex workers)
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
67
Sindicato Unico de Sexoservidoras y Sexoservidores
Veracruzanos
(Based on the union of Pirámide association of sex workers and
Claroscuro an LGBT group against raids facing both)
Contacts unavailable for both associations above. Contact through
APROASE and the national network.
Nicaragua
Golondrina 
Fanny Torres
golondrinamt1@yahoo.com
(505) 88208502
(female sex workers)
Asociación Mujeres Trabajadoras Sexuales Girasoles 
María Elena Davila Ocampos
amtsgirasolesnic@yahoo.com
(505) 89236194
(female sex workers)
Panamá
Mujeres luchando por una nueva vida 
Lineth Pinzon
mujeresluchandoporunanuevavida@yahoo.es
(507)61453606
(female sex workers)
Mujeres con dignidad y derecho Panamá 
Juana Ramona Torres- Dulce
dulceana01@hotmail.com
(507)65028226
(female sex workers)
Asociación Panameña de Personas Trans (APPT)
Venus Tejada
Apptrans@gmail.com
+507 220 -0729
(trans sex workers)
Paraguay
Unidas en la esperanza 
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
68
María Lucila Esquivel/ Mónica Aquino
(595) 21445319/ (595) 21491658
unidasenlaesperanza@yahoo.com
(female sex workers)
Colectivo de Trabajadoras Sexuales Trans Panambí 
Peru
Asociación de Trabajadoras Sexuales Miluska Vida y Dignidad 
Angela Villón
Av Tacna 685, Piso 13, Oficina 135
Lima, Peru
511 388 6497 ó 995594225
miluskavidaydignidad@yahoo.es
www.miluskavidaydignidad.iespana.es
(female sex workers working in close collaboration with trans sex
workers)
Colectivo Redtrasex 
Silvia Torres Canayo
nicol_iquitos@hotmail.com
(511) 65965896065
(female sex workers)
Red Trans Peru 
Jana Villayzan
transgeneridadangelazul@yahoo.com
511 247 7443
(trans sex workers)
Asociación de Trabajadoras Sexuales Woman del Callao 
asociacionwomancallao@hotmail.com
(trans sex workers)
Trabajadoras sexuales independientes 
bellaloretana-28@hotmail.com
(trans sex workers)
Asociación de Trabajadoras Sexuales Viviendo con VIH Santa
Micaela de la Región del Callao 
Asociación Civil de Trabajadoras Sexuales "Esperanza" 
Agrupación "Fuerza Chalaca"- Callao 
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
69
Asociación de Trabajadoras Sexuales Warmi Pura 
Asociación Civil Hojas al Viento 
(Contact the above groups through Miluska, Vida y Dignidad)
Uruguay
National:
Asociación de Meretrices Profesionales del Uruguay (AMEPU) 
Vanesa Pirez/ Reina Pamela Arcosa Rodriguez
(5982) 9245275
amepu1@hotmail.com, amepu@adinet.com.uy
(female sex workers)
Asociación de Travestis del Uruguay (ATRU) 
Gloria Mariño
+598 292 45275
atru2006@yahoo.com.ar
(trans sex workers)
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
70
East Africa
Congo (D.R.C.)
National:
Plans for National Sex Worker Network by ALCIS
Local:
ALCIS 
Alphonse Mihigo
+243 853 530 448
alphonsemfr@yahoo.fr
(female sex workers)
AHUSADEC
Raphael Munyoyolo
+ 243 853 153 050
ahusadecongd@yahoo.fr
CODESCI
Patrick Cibangu
+243 82 318 180
patcibangu@gmail.com
LIVAP
Jolly Biaya Tshizaza
+243 998 164 237
jbiayat@hotmail.com
Ethiopia
National:
Nikat 
Gelila Mekonene, Solomon Dereje,Hanna Hagos Chrerko
Addis
+(251) 911-44-4138, +(251) 913-93-0093
or c/o DKT +202 223 8780
Nikat1998@yahoo.com, Andrew@Dktinternational.org
Wise Up Project
Outside of Addis
c/o DKT +202 223 8780
Andrew@Dktinternational.org
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
71
Kenya
National:
ASWA- Kenya  (c/o Kash, Survivors and Bar Hostesses
below)
KASH 
Tom Odhiambo
+254-57-2025939 /254-721-445452
kash_group@yahoo.com
(sex workers of all genders- FSW & LGBT)
Survivors
Caroline Kemunto Ariga
+254724352288
carkemunto@yahoo.com
Bar Hostesses
Peninah Wanjiku Mwangi
+020 856 2779, 072 252 0833
barhostess@yahoo.com
Uganda
National:
ASWA - Uganda  (c/o Wonetha below)
WONETHA 
Kyomya Macklean
P.O.Box 31762, Salama-Munyonyo Rd, K'la
+256-414-667-730/ +256 -774-603-754.
wonetha@gmail.com/ kmacklean@yahoo.com
URL. www.wonetha.4t.com
(sex workers of all genders)
Lady Mermaid’s Bureau 
Sanyu Hajara
Ivory Plaza Plot 4 Wilson Street.
P.O. Box 70890 Kampala.
+256 312 264 585
mermclub@yahoo.com
Kanaa Foundation (KAFOP)
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
72
Kabarole - Rwenzori region in West Uganda
kaanafou@yahoo.com
Somaliland
National:
Somaliland HIV/AIDS Network
Anwar Abdirahman Warsame
+252-2-528516,523974, 4421890
sahan.network@gmail.com,somalilandhivaids@yahoo.com
www.sahanaids.org
(network of 100 CBOs, many working with female
sexworkers, direct trainings of sex workers)
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
73
Southern Africa
Botswana
National:
Local:
Sisonke Botswana 
Tosh Legoreng
c/o BONELA
Gaberone
+267 393-2516
sisonkebw@gmail.com, bonela@botsnet.bw
Matshelo Community Development Association (MCDA)
Pedzisani Motlhabane
Francistown
241-0295, 071 53-2153
mcda@inet.co.bw
(female sex workers)
Sex Workers of Kasane 
ManaFila
c/o BONELA
Gaberone
+267 393-2516
bonela@botsnet.bw
(sex workers of all genders)
Lesotho
Local:
Liatla Productions
Selloane Mokuku
+266 63314927
Mpone Ke U bone
Maleshane Shelile (only speaks Sesotho)
+266 63283949
(HIV-prevention and income-generation with female sex
workers)
Madagascar
National:
FIZIMORE, National Network of Sex Workers 
Balou Chabart Rasoanaivo
+261 32 04 898 17 / +261 32 40 896 02
balou_chabart@yahoo.fr
or c/o PSI Madagascar
asaraha@psi.org, jimmyr@psi.org
261-3207-452-83
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
74
(sex workers of all genders)
Malawi
National:
National Network of Sex Workers - CEDEP 
Gift Trapence
Directorcedep@yahoo.com
6465490130
www.cedepmalawi.org
(female sex workers, prisoners and LGBT)
FOCUS
focuska@focusmw.org, admin@focusweb.org,
soontaree@focusweb.org
(promotion of safe sex practices targeting sex workers)
Youth Net and Counseling (YONECO)
MacBain Mkandawire
Along Zomba Lilongwe Road, P.O. Box 471, Zomba,
+265 1 526 199 +265888958726
Skype ID: macbainmkandawire
Mozambique
National:
ASWA- Mozambique 
Laila Matsinhe
lailamatsinhe@gmail.com
(Can also be contacted through Pathfinder: see below)
Local:
Projecto Inclusão/ Pathfinder International/UNFPA
Marcos Benedetti
Rua Eça de Queirós, 100, Bairro da Coop
Maputo
+ 258 21 416607/+ 258 84 3056256
MBenedetti@pathfind.org
Namibia
Local:
The Rainbow Project TRP 
P O Box 26122
9000 Windhoek
+264 61 230 710
admin@trp.org.na
(sex workers of all genders)
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
75
South Africa
National:
Sisonke National Network (See contact information for
SWEAT below)
Local:
SWEAT 
Eric Harper
Capetown, South Africa
Community House
41 Salt River Road
Salt River 7925
Cape Town South Africa
Postal Address: P. O. Box 373 Salt River 7924
+ 021-448-7875
sweat@sweat.org.za
Sisonke Chapter - Reproductive Health and HIV
Research Unit (RHRU)
Lauren Jankelowitz
Hillbrow Health Precinct Hugh Solomon Building
Esselen
+ 27 11 358 5300
info@rhru.org
Zambia
Health Triangle Project 
Winstone Zulu/ Nalundu
Kabwe
Winstonemwenda@yahoo.com
+260 97 565 6858.
Local:
Local/National:
Sex Workers’ Advocacy Project
c/o Envision
Paul Kasankonoma
Lusaka
+260 97 742 1548
paulsitive@yahoo.com
(sex workers of all genders, HIV+ sex workers, LGBT,
hopes to build national sex workers rights network).
Zimbabwe
Sexual Rights Centre 
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
76
Sian Maseko
Room 604, Charter House,
51-57 Leopold Takawira, Bulawayo.
+ 00263 9 64954/ +00263 (0) 912712161
director_cad@yahoo.com
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
77
Caribbean
Antigua
Gender Affairs
Craig Rijkaard
268-779-1996
crijkaard@yahoo.com
Belize
RC Trans in Action 
Mia Quetzal
501-668-7925
lovejonky78@yahoo.com
(trans sex workers)
United Belize Advocacy Movement (UniBAM): Caleb
Orozco
caleb.orozco@gmail.com, orozcocaleb@gmail.com
(LGBT)
Curacao
FOKO 
Dudley Ferdinandus
5999-514-9242
dferdinandus@yahoo.com
(LGBT)
Dominican Republic
MODEMU 
Mirian Gonzalez
(001) 829-527-3498 / (001) 809-689-6767
modemu@codetel.net.do
(female sex workers)
CONTRAVETD
Nairobi Castillo
809-602-9395/809-689-6767
nairovita@yahoo.com,contravetdominicano@hotmail..com
(trans sex workers)
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
78
COIN
Yajaira Pena/Elias Ramos
Calle Aníbal de Espinosa #352, Villas Agrícolas
Santo Domingo
809-982-3977/809-804-894 (personal)
(809) 681-1515 and (809) 538-8535 (COIN)
coin@codetel.net.do
Grenada
GRENCHAP
Kerlin Charles
473-436-0585/417grenchap@gmail.com
(MSM and SW)
Guyana
National:
Guyana Sex Work Coalition 
(Contact through One Love)
(sex workers of all genders)
ONE LOVE SW ORGANIZATION 
Miriam Edwards
592-651-0881
miriam.passion@yahoo.com
(sex workers of all genders)
SASOD
Joel Simpson
698-1174, 686-0835 or 617-6107.
sasod_guyana@ yahoo.com
(male and trans sex workers in particular, but also support
for Guyana Sex Work Coalition)
MERUNDOI INC
Lisa Agard
55 Sachi Bazaar and Delhi Streets
Prashad Nagar
592-660-8142
mail@merundoi.org.gy
http://www.merundoi.org.gy
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
79
(HIV general)
Haiti
National:
APFE
Kettly Alysee
kettlya@yahoo.fr
(female sex workers)
PSI/Haiti
Steve Laguerre
Slaguerre33@hotmail.com
mturenneconstant@yahoo.com
509-3757-1933
Local:
SEROVIE 
Robinson Pierre
509-3451-7076
robenson1020@hotmail.com
(male and trans sex workers)
Jamaica
National:
Sex Work Association of Jamaica (SWAJ)  (see below)
Sex Work Association of Jamaica - Kingston (SWAJ) 
Jenice Jackson
876-852-0218
jackson_jenice@yahoo.com
(sex workers of all genders)
Sex Work Association of Jamaica - Ocho Rios (SWAJ) /
Jamaica AIDS Support for Life Ocho Rios JASL
Princess Brown/ Ava McFarlane
876-848-0821/876-875-9595
koolcat.brown6@gmail.com, ava_neil@yahoo.com
(sex workers of all genders, including male sex workers
with a female clientele)
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
80
Sex Work Association of Jamaica - Montego Bay
(SWAJ)
Trinidad and Tobago
Trans T & T 
Spencer Rodriguez
brandyvalantino@rocketmail.com
868-763-0725
(trans sex workers)
National:
Family Planning Association of Trinidad and Tobago
79 Oxford Street
Port of Spain
(868) 623 4764/(868) 627 6732
fpattrep@ttfpa.org
www.ttfpa.org
(sex workers of all genders)
Saint-Lucia
National:
CAFRA
Flavia Cherry
758-487-8567
cafraslu@hotmail.com
(female sex workers)
National:
Caribbean Harm Reduction Coalition
Marcus Day
Marcus.p.day@gmail.com
(male and female sex workers)
Suriname
Stichting Maxi Linder Association
Diana Van Der Leende
Heerenstraat 26, Paramaribo
00597-885-9195
mxlinder@sr.net.
(Sex workers of all genders)
Sex Worker Organizations’ and Projects’
Funding Priorities
81