TAMPEP members call for equal treatment with other professions

Source (institute/publication)
TAMPEP

NSWP member organisation TAMPEP has called for sex workers to receive equal treatment with other professions. The statement comes as areas of Europe enter new periods of lockdown and sex workers continue to face extreme hardship as well as stigma and discrimination.

You can read an excerpt of the TAMPEP statement below or visit the TAMPEP website to read the full statement.

“A democratic society stands for equal treatment regarding professional rules in combating the pandemic. It is inexplicable that one profession is excluded while others, very similar, are allowed to work. There are no arguments as to why this profession would contribute more to infections. There is certainly no scientific evidence to support this. That is not acceptable and should not happen.

  • Sex workers are forbidden to work for almost one year now. Their workplaces are closed.
  • Local authorities tend to persecute sex workers instead of supporting them during these challenging times. This has to stop. Authorities have to rethink their strategy in this regard.
  • In the media, sex workers are mostly portrayed as super-spreaders when there is no evidence to support this allegation. These coverages harm sex workers additionally.

The closure or inaccessibility of workspaces and the lack of access to social safety nets lead to drastic income reductions for these workers, increasing their exposure to risk and making those already suffering the highest violence rates even more vulnerable.

TAMPEP joins forces with the sex workers’ movement in the struggle for equal labor and human rights for sex workers.

We call the governments to re-address this social and economic injustice toward this professional category and involve sex workers as experts in implementing all measures and decisions to fight Corona and minimize the risk of infection in sex work.”