News Archive: août 2015

The Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations, (AFAO), the national body whose membership is made up of national peer-led organisations, including, Scarlet Alliance, the Australian Sex Workers’ Association; the Australian Injecting and Illicit Drug Users League (AIVL); and the National Association of People with HIV Australia (NAPWHA); recently published a series of articles in its flagship magazine-style publication,

The Global Network of Sex Work Projects (NSWP) thanks Amnesty International for standing firm with sex workers and passing the resolution calling for the full decriminalisation of sex work.

Sex workers and sex worker rights activists across the world have been campaigning tirelessly these past few weeks to highlight the importance of a call for the full decriminalisation of sex work. Many sex worker groups and allies across the world wrote to Amnesty International’s Secretary General in support of the proposed policy on sex work. One such letter, from Empower Foundation in Thailand - which has been advocating for the rights of Thai sex workers for over 30 years - wrote:

“Criminalization has not led to increased human rights or reduced abuses; it has only led to more stigma and more real crimes.’

Amnesty International joins other major international agencies such as UNAIDS, WHO, Human Rights Watch, the Lancet, GAATW in the call for the full decriminalisation of sex work. Sex workers and our allies’ campaign for the full decriminalisation of sex work to: Promote safe working conditions and labour rights for sex workers; Increase access to health services and reduce sex workers’ risk of HIV and STIs; Increase sex workers’ access to justice; Reduce police abuse and violence; Help to tackle exploitation and coercion when it does occur.

NSWP membership comprises 237 sex worker-led organisations in 71 countries across the globe, including local organisations as well as national and regional networks. Our regional networks in the Global South and Global North represent many thousands of sex workers who actively oppose the criminalisation and other legal oppression of sex work.

Trabajadoras Sexuales Organizadas e Independientes, Bailarinas de Table Dance, Meseras, y empleadas de diferentes lugares de trabajo, realizaron este 30 de Julio día Internacional contra la Trata de Personas, una marcha para protestar contra los operativos realizados por la Fiscalía de Trata de Personas de la Procuraduría del Distrito Federal. Con mantas y pancartas exigieron el alto a las acciones ministeriales que las victimizan y las violentan como resultado de la ley de trata de personas.

En Coatzacoalcos Veracruz se violaron los derechos de un trabajador sexual, esta violación fue debido a por vivir con VIH se le despido de su  empleo que era un bar.

Empower Foundation, the Thai sex worker organisation has written a letter of support to Amnesty International.