The Advisory Group offers a greater understanding of the situation of sex workers – an understanding that is necessary to address the abuses they face and to ensure they have universal access to HIV services. Every effort has been made to highlight good practices that enhance human rights protections for sex workers, as well as practices that create barriers to universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.
Young people of all ages have seen increased attention in HIV and AIDS discussions, yet there exists little to no policy guidance on providing rights-based universal access to HIV prevention, care, treatment and support for young people under the age of majority involved in the sex trade, especially those involved in what is legally defined as prostitution. The “Wards of the State” project begins an evaluation of current laws, policies and practices affecting young people in the sex trade’s access to rights-based services on a country to country basis.
It is an exciting time for sex work policy. Governments, UN agencies and key civil society institutions are beginning to focus on reforming laws and policies that can reduce abuses of sex workers and enable HIV prevention and care programmes to develop and work effectively.
The 18th International AIDS Conference, will take place in Vienna, Austria, from the 18th to the 23rd of July 2010. The International Network of Sex Work Projects has been working hard to ensure that sex workers are a strong presence at the conference as always. Sex workers will have a Networking Zone and several exhibition booths, some dedicated sessions, speakers, a pre-meeting, a rally and, as always, a party.
From 18 to 23 July 2010, the Global Network of Sex Work Projects (NSWP), together with sex workers and allies from nearly 40 countries, gathered at the 18th International AIDS Conference, in Vienna, Austria. This document provides an overview of the sex work related activities at the conference. It includes some figures, programme descriptions, media reports and comments from sex workers and allies about the impact of the pre-meeting and the conference.
Unfavourable laws, stigma, violence, and discrimination cause sex workers’ vulnerability to ill health, social exclusion and human rights violations. Sex workers face these to varying degrees in all cultures from Switzerland to Swaziland, Canada to Cambodia.
This guide, published by the International Network of Sex Work Projects, outlines their understanding of HIV and sex work and sets out their global agenda for change.
An interview by Elaine Murphy and Karin Ringheim in Reproductive Health and Rights – Reaching the Hardly Reached. pp. 13-15. This report was published by PATH.
A short film by the International Network of Sex Work Projects. Taking the Pledge features sex workers from Bangladesh, Brazil, Cambodia, Mali, Thailand and more. They describe the problems created by the ‘anti-prostitution pledge’ required to receive USAID and PEPFAR funds. In English, Khmer, Thai, French, Portuguese and Bengali, with English subtitles. Watch in full-screen mode to read the subtitles.
Making Sex Work Safe was developed by sex workers from the early International Network of Sex Work Projects (NSWP). It was written by Paulo Longo and Cheryl Overs. It provides global perspectives on information about sex workers, analysis of law and policy and guidance about how to ensure that programmes on sex work are rights based and grounded in communities.
