Vixen Collective

Contact email
Who do you work with?

Vixen Collective is Victoria’s peer-only sex worker organisation. We are a volunteer organisation made up entirely of current and former Victorian sex workers. Third parties, families, partners and friends of sex workers are not involved in the organisation.

How are sex workers involved in your organisation?

Vixen Collective is run entirely by and for sex workers. We are a 100% peer organisation and we regularly consult with the broader sex worker community.

Which of NSWP priority areas does your organisation work on?
Oppose the criminalisation and other legal oppression of sex work and support its recognition as work
Critique the trafficking paradigm that conflates representations of sex work, migration, and mobility
Advocate for universal access to health services, including primary health care, HIV and sexual and reproductive health services
Speak out about violence against sex workers, including violence from police, institutions, clients, and intimate partners, while challenging the myth that sex work is inherently gender-based violence
Oppose human rights abuses, including coercive programming, mandatory testing, raids and forced rehabilitation
Challenge stigma and discrimination against sex workers, their families and partners, and others involved in sex work
Advocate for the economic empowerment and social inclusion of sex workers as sex workers
What are the two main challenges that the sex workers you work with face

In Victoria we have a licensing system, meaning all workers must either work in a licensed establishment or have their own individual licenses to work privately. The costs and conditions of these license are onerous and prohibitive, creating a two-tiered sex industry where many sex workers are unable to comply with licensing requirements. The licensing system is inherently discriminatory and presents a major risk to sex worker rights, health and well being. As well as the onerous licensing requirements, sex workers are required to undergo mandatory STI & BBV screening every 3 months and present medical certificates to employers. This is a breach of human rights, is unnecessary, stigmatising and means that sex workers are often required to ‘out’ themselves to healthcare workers in order to get certificates. Working with HIV or an STI is a criminal offence. These laws are counter productive, highly stigmatising and  discriminatory.

Describe other areas of your work

Vixen Collective provides peer support, peer education, external stakeholder training, lobbying & advocacy, media, police liaison, HIV/STI advisory, as well as ongoing and active consultation with the sex worker community.

Country
Australia