In Serbia, JAZAS screened a new movie made at the JAZAS drop-in center and shared new data on violence and discrimination against sex workers in Serbia, before inviting the 80 participants, almost a quarter of whom were sex workers, to discuss ways forward. In Czech, sex workers and supporters marched through the centre of town with red umbrellas and lit candles in memory of sex workers who had been killed.

In Serbia, JAZAS screened a new movie made at the JAZAS drop-in center and shared new data on violence and discrimination against sex workers in Serbia, before inviting the 80 participants, almost a quarter of whom were sex workers, to discuss ways forward. In Czech, sex workers and supporters marched through the centre of town with red umbrellas and lit candles in memory of sex workers who had been killed. In Albania, Aksion + staff and a sex worker participated in a national human rights debate with the State Commissioner for the Protection Against Discrimination and had the top-rated morning television show showcase and explain the symbol of the Red Umbrella. In Slovakia, Odyseus used sex workers’ accounts of their own lives and work to combat negative attitudes about sex workers and their work. In Macedonia, STAR-STAR and HOPS marked the day all across the country with actions in Skopje, Ohrid, Strumica and Gostivar. Highlights included: a red umbrella march of 50 people – half of whom were sex workers, hand-made mini red umbrellas, coverage by 3 television shows and…an unforgettable red umbrella cake! In Saint-Petersburg, Club Silver Rose given the city’s refusal to sanction a march in the streets, activists organized 8 movie screenings about sex workers’ rights and appeared in four media to discuss the day. In Siberia, sex workers had a group discussion about violence and strategies to survive and heal from it. In Kazakhstan, 340 sex workers received information about their rights and how to protect themselves from violence, while in Kyrgyzstan a great effort was taken to have the date recognized by the government as a professional holiday for sex workers as part of the December campaign. In Ukraine, Legalife organized a press conference to denounce how the penalization of sex work protects perpetrators of violence. Across the region, December 17th was a day of action!

ALBANIA- AKSION PLUS
BULGARIA-HESED
CZECH REPUBLIC- Bliss Without Risk
HUNGARY- SZEXE
KAZAKHSTAN- KOVCHEG
KYRGYZSTAN – Tais Plus
MACEDONIA- STAR
MACEDONIA- HOPS
RUSSIA (SAINT-PETERSBURG) – CLUB SILVER ROSE
RUSSIA- Siberian Initiative
SERBIA- JAZAS
SLOVAKIA – ODYSEUS
UKRAINE- LEGALIFE