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In early May, Portugal's Constitutional Court declared the criminalisation of some third parties involved in sex work to be unconstitutional. Under current law in Portugal any form of organised sex work is prohibited, including brothel-keeping. Profiting from, promoting, encouraging or facilitating 'prostitution' are also criminal offences, and this also affects sex workers’ ability to work together and work safely[1].

Platform Layalat, a network advocating in Morocco for the rights of sex workers in general and transgender women sex workers in particular, released the following statement regarding the lack of representation of transgender women in the country dialogue for the new grant request to the Global Fund.

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.

NSWP member organisation Cairo 52 last week announced the first annual Egyptian Pride Day of Sex Workers. After discussions within the Egyptian sex worker community, the date of 2 April 2023 was chosen. The 2nd of April is a significant date as it is the anniversary of the Battle of Wazzir between Egyptian sex workers and British colonial troops.

NSWP is seeking to appoint a Global Consultant to lead the development of a Briefing Paper, with accompanying Community Guide, on the right to housing and the unmet needs of sex workers. NSWP will consider applications from individuals based in or outside of the UK.

NSWP is seeking to appoint a Global Consultant to lead the development of a Briefing Paper, with accompanying Community Guide, on meeting the needs and priorities of young sex workers. NSWP will consider applications from individuals based in or outside of the UK.

Carol Leigh, aka Scarlot Harlot, the bold and pioneering sex work activist, artist, author and performer, died last m

Carol Leigh, aka Scarlot Harlot, the bold and pioneering sex work activist, artist, author and performer, died last m

Sex Worker Pride began in 2019 and is an opportunity to celebrate and share stories of sex workers’ self-determination and the achievements of the sex worker rights movement. Sex Worker Pride extends to all marginalised by criminalisation, discrimination and stigma across the sex worker movement and celebrates the diversity within our community.

NSWP members celebrated Sex Worker Pride 2022 on 14 September with in-person events, digital events, and sharing achievements across social media and online networks.

Africa

International Sex Workers’ Day is held annually to mark the 1975 occupation of Saint-Nizier Church in Lyon, France, by around 100 sex workers, protesting their criminalised and exploitative living conditions. Sex workers continue to mark the day every year with events and actions calling for fulfilment of their rights. Each year NSWP focuses on the theme of access to justice on 2nd June.

Sex worker groups around the world held a huge diversity of events and actions to mark International Sex Workers’ Day 2022.

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.

In December 2021, the World Health Assembly (WHA) held a Special Session, (the second-ever since WHO’s founding in 1948) and agreed to develop a ‘WHO convention, agreement or other international instrument on pandemic preparedness’ – the so-called ‘Pandemic Treaty’.

The next stage of the pandemic treaty development is the public hearings scheduled for 11-12 April. As part of this process there was also an opportunity for written submissions to be submitted.

Sex workers in Belgium are celebrating a historic vote in parliament that will result in an amendment to the country’s Penal Code and the laws on sex work. NSWP member organisation Utsopi wrote about the news on their website, declaring “The decriminalisation of sex work in Belgium was approved by the Federal Parliament on March 18 at 1:35 a.m.” The Federal Parliament voted in favour of this rights-affirming legal reform with 70 for, 41 abstentions and just 4 against. When the new laws are enacted, it will make Belgium the first country in Europe to decriminalise sex work.

NSWP has launched an update to the Global Mapping of Sex Work Laws project, which maps sex work laws around the world. The information in the map reflects legislation (as of December 2021) that affects sex workers through the criminalisation of the sale and purchase of sexual services, and the facilitation, management or organisation of sex work, as well as other laws used to regulate sex work such as mandatory health checks and travel restrictions.