The sex workers’ movement in Europe

and globally

OUR DEMANDS!

Sex workers in Europe and around the world have been organising for many years. Our main reasons to organise are:- Resist and denounce arrests, fines, police abuse.- Change legal system to decriminalise sex work

Sex workers are also fighting to:- End violence against sex workers (by police, clients, members of public)- Change the society to stop stigmatisation and discrimination which fuels violence

The sex workers movement is at the intersection of many other struggles- Violence against women- Transphobia – for trans rights- Health / HIV- Against poverty - For migrants rights and against racism

1975 - FRANCEOccupation of Church of St Nizier by 100 prostitutes

to protest police corruption and arrests

2nd of June is celebrated as Sex Workers’ Rights Day!

1975-2015: CELEBRATING 40 YEARS OF SEX WORKERS ACTIVISM (LYON & PARIS)

“We face arrest, jail, fines, being called ‘unfit mothers’ and losing custody of our children. . . Those of us on the street face the worst dangers but we are all threatened . . . we want to break those divisions among women on the game. . . If you are a prostitute, the courts assume you can’t be raped. . . Through prostitution, we provide the welfare the State won’t provide for us and our children, husbands and elderly parents.” That is how we started and we have remained true to those aims for nearly 40 years. ENGLISH COLLECTIVE OF PROSTITUTES

END POLICE VIOLENCE AND CORRUPTION

In most European countries, sex worker is criminalised or penalised.

Sex workers can be - directly criminalised with offences related to selling sex, or soliciting (street working).- Indirectly criminalised (laws on pimping

and brothel keepings targeting sex workers; laws on communicating)

- Indirectly criminalised as members of other communities (trans, migrants, Roma, people who use drugs…)

The police who implement the law is often corrupt and responsible of violence and abuse against sex workers.

Sex workers fight to change the laws about sex work and to stop police violence.

END CRIMINALISATION: SEX WORKERS DEMAND CHANGES IN LAW

Sex worker demand change to the laws: decriminalisation of sex workers, clients and third parties in order to end police abuse and corruption and fight against exploitative and violent third parties, clients and criminals.

STOP VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

The majority of sex workers are women, many of them mothers and single mothers. Sex workers are at high risk of violence and organise to end stigma and criminalisation that legitimates violence

- 17th of December- Alliance with women’s rights organisations

SEX WORKERS’ RIGHTS! TRANS RIGHTS!1,731 cases of trans people murdered between 2008 and 2014. More than 65% were sex workers.

Violence against migrants and racismMany sex workers attacked and victims of violence are migrant sex workers.Example:In UK, several romanian sex workers were murdered in recent years.

Luciana Maurer, Romanian sex worker murdered in Scotland in 2014. She worked in Scotland to send money to her family. She had a 7 year old child.

Mariana Popa, 24 and pregant was stabbed in the streets of London whilst working in 2013

Lidia Pascale, 26, was murdered in Birmingham in June 2015

This is why sex workers’s organisations need to include the issues faced by different communities and identities: women, trans women, drug users, roma, migrants etc.Many organisations «allies» support sex workers’ rights and can help your organisation (LGBT, service providers, some women groups..)

Methods of actions and organising!

Public protests and actionsPublic meetings and meetings with officials (health, justice, social affairs..)Meetings and alliance buildings with other minority and groups (women, LGBT, workers…)MediaCultural activism (theatre, films, radio show..)

Not victims, not guilty! We want rights!

Public action:

What are the aims and targets? (media, politicans, other)

Finding a good symbolical location

Safety & police contact (can sex workers be part of the action & visible?)

Trained spokesperson

Sex workers in London protest in front of Swedish Embassy against criminalisation of clients.

In Korea, sex workers protest and threaten to burn themselves after their brothels are closed down.

Public meetings, events, and conferences

Street art in Argentina.

86% of female sex workers are mothers.

CULTURAL ACTIVISM:Sex workers can make thir own events: films festivals, art shows… or create their own movies and resources to change society’s views on sex work!

Conclusions

Sex worker all around the world are organising for the rights: end police violence andd abusse, change the laws to stop our criminalisation.

Sex workers belong to many different communities: women, LGBT, migrants, roma and can face different forms of stigmatisation and discrimination, even from within our communities.

Sex workers have developed their own organisations in many countries and have organised events, meetings for their rights.

What will you do to fight for your rights?