This article was written by Marin Scarlett, Campaign and Communications Officer at the European Sex Workers' Rights Alliance (ESWA).
Sex worker rights activists’ success against the ‘Prostitution Report’ was the culmination of months of campaigning – that must continue in the next fight against the Anti-Trafficking Directive.
This article was written by an NSWP member in Canada.
NSWP submitted this letter to Members of the European Parliament as they prepared to discuss the report, “Regulation of prostitution in the EU: its cross-border implications and impact on gender equality and women’s rights, 2022/2139(INI)”.
The report, from the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality will be put to a vote in plenary on 14th September 2023.
NSWP called on all Members of the European Parliament to reject and to vote against the report.
NSWP has submitted this letter to Members of the European Parliament as they prepare to discuss the report, “Regulation of prostitution in the EU: its cross-border implications and impact on gender equality and women’s rights, 2022/2139(INI)”.
The report, from the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality will be put to a vote in plenary on 14th September.
The European Coalition on Sex Workers’ Rights and Inclusion have also published an Open Letter.
NSWP welcomes the European Court of Human Rights decision to hear an appeal by sex workers against a French anti-sex work law. The ruling came on Thursday 31st August, more than three years after receiving an application from 261 sex workers challenging the 2016 ‘Prostitution Act’. NSWP join the European Sex Workers' Rights Alliance (ESWA) in applauding the 261 sex workers who stood up to pursue their fundamental rights.
On 21 March, Ugandan lawmakers approved new legislation that, if adopted, would violate multiple fundamental rights and criminalise the LGBTQI+ community.
NSWP member organisation Transgender Equality Uganda explains more about the bill, its penalties, and its consequences.
Legislation around sex work can be extremely complex and different legal models exist in different countries, and sometimes even within countries. While understanding the written laws and regulations is important, it does not provide a complete picture of the impact of sex work laws on the lives of sex workers. To understand this, it is essential to understand how the laws are interpreted, enforced, and implemented on the ground.
NSWP have written an open letter to the Prime Minister, the Government of Spain, and the leaders of all political parties in the Congress of Deputies regarding the legislative proposals to amend the Spanish Penal Code and introduce new provisions regarding sex work. The proposed reforms include amending the Penal Code to extend the punishment of third parties to include non-coercive relationships and decouple it from exploitation and consent, violating sex workers’ right to housing and the security of sex workers, many of whom live and work in the same place.
This animation looks at sex work through a labour framework, and advocates for the recognition of sex work as work. Where sex work is criminalised, sex workers’ workplaces are often excluded from national labour laws.
The Sex Work as Work animation is a new tool for sex workers' advocacy worldwide. It was designed and created by Smo Sienkiewicz.
On 19th May India’s Supreme Court announced a ruling expanding the rights of sex workers and defining sex work as a profession. “It need not be gainsaid that notwithstanding the profession, every individual in this country has a right to a dignified life under Article 21 of the Constitution,” the court observed.