Resources

The Annual Report highlights the activities and achievements of NSWP in 2015. These activities include capacity building, providing technical support to regional networks and the development of advocacy tools that bring the human rights of sex workers into focus.

This is the 17th issue of NSWP's quarterly newsletter ‘Sex Work Digest’, covering the period from November 2016 - January 2017. 

The following is a statement from the National Network of Sex Workers challenging the ‘Last Girl First’: Second World Congress against the Sexual Exploitation of Women and Girls (January 29-31, 2017, New Delhi, India) organised by the Coalition for the Abolition of Prostitution International (CAP Intl). 

This resource is a Community Guide to the policy brief on Young Sex Workers. The policy brief summarises the research on young people who sell sex including both young people who sell sex below the age of 18 and young sex workers between the ages of 18 and 29. It clearly demonstrates how the systemic discrimination, stigma, and criminalisation experienced by young people who sell sex increases their vulnerability to HIV.

Contents include:

The NSWP Global Fund Quarterly Update includes information about the most recent topics being discussed and addressed within the Global Fund. This update is part of the Robert Carr Civil Society Networks Fund grant to provide Global Fund workshops in collaboration with NSWP members. In 2016, there will be a total of 4 updates.

Today marks the 13^th annual International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers. For thirteen years, sex workers have used this day to highlight the need for action to end violence against sex workers.

The issues faced by sex workers vary from region to region. These differences are due to different laws, social and cultural contexts, but one common issue faced by all sex workers is their vulnerability to and experience of violence.

This global statement draws attention to the fact that all sex workers are vulnerable to violence because of the criminalisation and legal oppression of sex work, stigma, and discrimination. This vulnerability to violence is increased for sex workers living with HIV, sex workers who use drugs, transgender sex workers, migrant sex workers, and sex workers that are part of other marginalised groups.

This global policy brief summarises the research on young people who sell sex including both young people who sell sex below the age of 18 and young sex workers between the ages of 18 and 29. It provides an overview of the legal framework that impact people under 18 who sell sex. It also summarises the available literature on the experiences of young people who sell sex. It clearly demonstrates how the systemic discrimination, stigma, and criminalisation experienced by young people who sell sex increases their vulnerability to HIV. A community guide is also available.

The International Committee on the Rights of Sex Workers in Europe have published the briefing paper Surveilled. Exploited. Deported. Rights Violations Against Migrant Sex Workers in Europe and Central Asia. It explores how criminalisation of migration, criminalisation of sex work and lack of economic and employment opportunities make migrant sex workers vulnerable to exploitation, violence and other human rights violations. It also provides key recommendations to ensure the rights of migrant sex workers are protected.

The Women's Refugee Commission has published this guidance note for humanitarian on Working with Refugees Engaged in Sex Work. This guidance notes adopts a rights-based approach to ensuring the fulfillment and protection of refugees engaged in sex work. The guidance note offers 14 practical steps for field staff. It also provides examples of good practices and programme activities for refugees engaged in sex work. 

We, the Bridging the Gaps alliance of global key population constituency networks, represented by the Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+), the International Treatment Preparedness Coalition (ITPC), the Global Network of Sex Work Projects (NSWP), the International Network of People Who Use Drugs (INPUD) and the Global Forum on Men Who Have Sex With Men and HIV (MSMGF), recognize that we are at a pivotal moment in our fight for the human rights of key populations and people living with HIV within the U.S. and in countries where the U.S. has hitherto provided important leadership.

The South Asia Sex Workers Network (Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka) have submitted this joint response to the UN Women Consultation on "sex work, sex trade, and prostitution." They produced a film featuring sex workers voices towards an inclusive policy on sex work, and based their response on their consultation with sex workers. The consultation was attended by participants from four South Asian countries respresenting four national level networks, five state level networks, 55 community-led organisations, and 25 supporting organisations.

This statement signed by 190 sex workers' rights, women's rights, and human rights organisations submitted the following response to the UN Women consultation on "sex work, sex trade, and prostitution." The Statement is calling UN Women to meaningfully engage with a broad range of sex workers’ and women’s rights organisations in the policy development process. It focuses on five key recommendations for UN Women to consider in their policy development process:

This resource is a Community Guide to the PrEP Briefing Paper. This Community Guide provides a summary of NSWP’s global consultation with sex workers on PrEP and provides key recommendations by sex workers on PrEP.

This briefing paper is an update and elaboration of NSWP’s consultation with its membership over the use of PrEP and Early Treatment as HIV Prevention Strategies. It provides insight into what sex workers think about PrEP and the concerns they have about it, including legal barriers, side effects, and what actions should be taken before consideration of the introduction of PrEP. A community guide is also available here.

This is the 16th issue of NSWP's quarterly newsletter ‘Sex Work Digest’, covering the period from August - October 2016. 

The Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (GAATW) submitted the following response to the UN Women consultation on "sex work, sex trade, and prostitution. They argue the conflation of sex work and trafficking trivialises trafficking and victimises, infantilises and patronises sex workers and creates a hostile atmosphere against them.

Amnesty International have submitted the following response to UN Women have submitted the following response to the UN Women consultation on "sex work, sex trade, and prostitution." Their submission highlights their Policy on State Obligations to Respect, Protect, and Fulfill the Human Rights of Sex Workers and the extensive reasearch they conducted in Norway, Papua New Guinea, Hong Kong, and Argentina in the development of their policy.

The Sex Workers’ Rights Advocacy Network for Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia (SWAN) have submitted the following response to the UN Women consultation on "sex work, sex trade, and prostitution." They voice concerns regarding the limited possibility for sex workers to take part in an internet-based consultation. Many sex worker groups have limited or no access to internet and are not familiar with the language used in the consultation.

The International Committee on the Rights of Sex Workers in Europe (ICRSE) submitted the following response to the UN Women consultation on "sex work, sex trade, and prostitution." In their preamble, ICRSE criticizes UN Women's lack of meaningful consultation with sex workers in the development of their policy. They remind UN Women that the UN Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), of which UN Women is a Co-Sponsor, already has developed a sex work policy that is founded in UN Human Rights treaties.