SWAN Vancouver (Supporting Women's Alternative's Network)

Contact email
Phone
604-719-6343

SWAN promotes the rights, health, and safety of im/migrant women engaged in indoor sex work through frontline service and systemic advocacy.

Who do you work with?

Newcomer, migrant and immigrant women who do indoor sex work.

How are sex workers involved in your organisation?

Sex workers hold volunteer, staff and board positions.

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

Multi-layered criminalization and stigma

Describe other areas of your work

We offer language- and culturally specific, and non-stigmatizing services that address im/migrant sex workers’ needs in areas of social, health, legal, immigration, and criminal justice.

Country
Canada