Among the organisations targeted is Kaos GL, a full member of SWAN and a long-standing human rights organisation. The reported targeting of members of its governing and oversight bodies, the search of its office, and the seizure of its equipment are not only actions against individual activists. They directly threaten the ability of an entire civil society organisation to function and continue its legitimate human rights work. We are also deeply concerned by reports that numerous activists and representatives of civil society organisations have been detained, and that the work, funding and public communications of LGBTI+ organisations are being presented as potentially criminal activities.

Türkiye is legally bound by the European Convention on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. These instruments protect the rights to liberty and security, privacy, freedom of expression, freedom of association, access to justice and freedom from discrimination. The current actions also raise serious concerns under the principles of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted through UN General Assembly Resolution 53/144, which recognises the right of individuals and organisations to promote and protect human rights without intimidation or retaliation.

We call on the Turkish authorities to:

• Disclose the specific legal grounds and evidence supporting each detention and investigation;
• Immediately release anyone detained solely because of their peaceful human rights work, identity or association with LGBTI+ civil society;
• End the use of vague concepts such as “morality” and “family values” to stigmatise or criminalise legitimate human rights activities;
• Ensure that lawful civil society work, international cooperation and funding are not treated as criminal conduct;
• Ensure that programmes protecting the health, safety and human rights of sex workers are not misrepresented as promoting or facilitating prostitution;
• Protect the dignity, safety, and physical and psychological well-being of everyone detained; and
• Restore access to the digital platforms of organisations and activists whose freedom of expression has been restricted without a necessary and proportionate legal basis.

We urge international human rights bodies, diplomatic missions and civil society organisations to closely monitor the situation, raise these concerns directly with the Turkish authorities, and support the activists and organisations affected.

Today, our message is simple: human rights defenders are not criminals. LGBTI+ people are not a threat to families or society. Supporting the human rights of sex workers does not promote prostitution. Solidarity is not a crime. Speaking up for equality causes is not a crime. Defending human dignity is not a crime.

SWAN stands firmly with Kaos GL, with LGBTI+ civil society in Türkiye, and with every human rights activist facing intimidation, detention or criminalisation for their peaceful work.

During the International AIDS Conference 2026 SWAN was represented by Trajche Janushev, SWAN Executive Director, and Wszebor Sienkiewicz, SWAN Media and Communications Officer. During the conference, the SWAN team contributed to several events, including workshops, panel discussions and protests.

Alongside the formal conference programme, SWAN’s Executive Director also had informal meetings and conversations with partners, including coordinators from other regional networks/members of the sex work consortium, IPPF, AWID, and EWNA, as well as funders, including ViiV Healthcare, the Elton John AIDS Foundation, and Aidsfonds. These exchanges provided a useful opportunity to reconnect, share updates and discuss possible areas for future collaboration.

On the opening day of the conference, SWAN joined the opening event in the Sex Worker Networking zone, as well as the 15th anniversary celebration of one of our donors – Robert Carr Fund. 

Advancing Sex Workers’ Health Equity: Challenges and Opportunities for Community-Academic Partnerships and Collaboration. 

SWAN Executive Director Trajche Janushev took part in this panel, which brought together sex worker-led organisations and academic researchers to address the critical role and value of community evidence and lived experience. Speakers shared that community organisations collect large amounts of data and evidence but their findings are often dismissed as “not scientific” or insufficiently rigorous. Academic institutions continue to be seen as the primary source of legitimate knowledge, and stigma and discrimination against sex workers affects whose expertise is considered credible.

One of the clearest messages throughout the panel session was that participation cannot be limited to data collection and that sex workers should be involved from developing research questions and deciding what data will be collected right through to analysing findings, interpreting results and disseminating research outcomes.

The session was also attended by SWAN board member, Janset Kalan, who contributed insights from the perspective of her country and the CEECA  region. 

SWAN also hosted a workshop titled Beyond Projects: Funding Sex Worker-Led HIV Responses, facilitated together with Anna Shapiro from the Global Network of Sex Work Projects (NSWP). Trajche Janushev and Anna Shapiro, Acting Global Coordinator of NSWP, discussed the importance of sustainable funding for sex worker-led organisations. Trajche introduced our new SHIFT programme, which helps sex workers start their own social entrepreneurship initiatives to generate additional income in the challenging political landscape. We heard feedback, thoughts, and questions from community members and allies.

Words to Win: Speaking Up for Sex Workers’ Rights 

SWAN Media and Communications Officer Wszebor Sienkiewicz represented SWAN in the panel discussion with International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) on effective messaging to advance sex workers’ rights. In this session we looked at the key findings from IPPF’s recent research on audience reactions to different narratives around sex work, discussed best practices and basic principles of political communications, and adressed the need for community leadership and meaningful involvement in all media and communications activities. 

The sex worker-led talk show 

hosted by Kholi Buthelezi from Sisonke, brought together activists including Wszebor Sienkiewicz (ESWA and SWAN), Karina Bravo (PLAPERTS), Dudu Dlamini (SWEAT), and Pamela Chakuvinga (Sisonke).

Speakers reflected on the struggle for decriminalisation and the power of collective organising. The panel discussed how punitive laws continue to shape sex workers’ lives, highlighting that criminalisation of clients has increased violence and created more dangerous working conditions. Participants also stressed the importance of moving beyond HIV-only discussions to address violence, discrimination and access to comprehensive healthcare.

Funding sex worker-led organisations in the shifting HIV landscape 

Trajche Janushev represented SWAN in this panel discussion with Grace Kamau (ASWA/ NSWP), Trajche Janushev (SWAN), Silvia Jongeling (Aidsfonds) and Shaun Mellors (ViiV Healthcare), moderated by Luca Stevenson (IPPF) 

Speakers reflected on shrinking HIV funding and the consequent loss of services. Despite these challenges, participants emphasised the resilience of sex worker communities and the importance of maintaining strong movements. As one speaker noted, “the voices of sex workers in those country dialogues and in those country-level processes are becoming more vital,” particularly at a time when funding decisions are increasingly being made without meaningful community participation.

Sex Worker Protest March 

Like every year, we joined the sex worker protest. A crowd of red umbrellas marched through the conference premises, singing and chanting “sex work is work” and “my body, my business”. The International AIDS conference is a unique opportunity to have our voices heard by a wide range of high-level decision makers, as well as allies in sister movements. Sharing these powerful moments also brings us closer as a community, building connections that nourish our work, advocacy, and the movement. 

SWAN and the Association “Soma Teisės”  are collecting organizational and individual endorsements in response to the proposed amendment to Article 487 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the Republic of Lithuania, which would significantly increase fines for the paid use of sexual services while keeping sex workers punishable.

We are concerned that the proposal does not provide real protection for sex workers or people in vulnerable situations. Instead, it risks increasing stigma, policing, and unsafe working conditions, while failing to introduce concrete measures such as access to health care, legal aid, housing support, safe reporting mechanisms, social protection, or protection from violence and exploitation.

The proposal also uses public health concerns, including sexually transmitted infections and HPV, to justify harsher punishment. This is not an evidence-based public health approach. Research shows that repressive policing and criminalization are associated with worse health and safety outcomes for sex workers. Sex workers exposed to repressive policing face increased risks of violence, HIV and STIs, reduced ability to negotiate condom use, and reduced access to health and support services. Evidence-based public health responses should focus on trust, access to services, prevention, testing, vaccination, condoms, harm reduction, and non-discriminatory care — not fines, fear, and policing. 

Punishment is not protection!

The proposal also conflates consensual adult sex work with sexual exploitation and human trafficking. We strongly believe that trafficking, coercion, and exploitation must be addressed through strong legal protection, investigation, victim support, and access to justice. At the same time, consensual adult sex work must be clearly distinguished and decriminalized. Decriminalization, together with community-led services and safe working conditions, has the greatest potential to reduce violence, improve access to health care, and reduce HIV/STI risks.

Decriminalize sex workers. Protect victims of trafficking!

You can read the full note submitted on 18.05.2026 to the Committee on Legal Affairs and Law Enforcement and to the Human Rights Committee here.

By endorsing this statement, your organization supports the call for the Lithuanian Parliament not to adopt the amendment in its current form, to remove penalties against sex workers, and to develop evidence-based, rights-based policies in meaningful consultation with sex worker-led, HIV, harm reduction, migrant rights, women’s rights, LGBTQI, and human rights organizations.

Lithuania should not copy failed punitive models!

Add your signature here!

On this International Women’s Day, we celebrate the strength, resilience, and leadership of all women around the world. It is also a moment to recognise those whose voices are often pushed to the margins, including women sex workers who continue to organise, support their communities, and defend their rights in the face of stigma, criminalisation, and growing political pressure.

Across Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and neighbouring regions, the space for civil society has been shrinking. Restrictive legislation, so-called “foreign agent” laws, and other forms of regulatory pressure are making it increasingly difficult for grassroots organisations to operate, speak out, and access resources. These trends not only silence civil society but also undermine the ability of women and sex workers to organise, advocate for their rights, and seek protection from violence.

Women sex workers across the region continue to face intersecting forms of discrimination and vulnerability. Criminalisation and stigma often push them into unsafe working conditions where sexual and physical violence, harassment, and exploitation occur with impunity. When legal frameworks treat sex workers as offenders rather than rights holders, reporting violence becomes dangerous or impossible, leaving many women without access to justice or protection.

Yet despite these barriers, women sex workers remain at the forefront of community leadership and mutual support. Through community-led organisations and regional networks, they provide peer support, document abuses, advocate for human rights, and challenge harmful policies that perpetuate inequality and violence.

On this International Women’s Day, we stand in solidarity with women sex workers and all women whose rights are denied or overlooked. Defending women’s rights means defending the rights of all women  including those working in criminalised or stigmatised sectors. A just and inclusive society must ensure that every woman can live and work in safety, dignity, and freedom.

For the development of the regional social enterprise incubator model

SWAN – Sex Workers’ Rights Advocacy Network is a regional network operating across Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA). SWAN works to advance human rights, health, and safety, and advocates for the decriminalization of sex work through regional coordination, advocacy, capacity-building, and community-led programming.

In 2026, SWAN started implementing the Sustainable Health, Inclusion, and Futures for Transformation (SHIFT) programme, a multi-year regional initiative supported by the Elton John AIDS Foundation. The programme aims to address structural and systemic barriers affecting sex workers by strengthening legal empowerment, community resilience, and sustainable economic opportunities for sex worker-led organisations.

One of the components of the SHIFT programme is the establishment of a regional social enterprise model, which will provide technical guidance, business planning support, and mentorship to selected community-based organisations. The model will be rooted in non-exploitative, rights-based, and community-led principles, with a strong link to reinvestment in HIV-related and community services.

SWAN is seeking an experienced Social Enterprise Consultant to support the design and operationalisation of this component from the SHIFT programme. The consultant will work closely with the SWAN coordination team and selected national partners and will be responsible for the following tasks:

1. Review relevant background materials, including SWAN programme documentation, regional context, and existing knowledge on social entrepreneurship for community-led organisations in EECA.

2. Design the overall structure and methodology of the regional social enterprise incubator model, tailored to sex worker-led organisations and the specific regional contexts.

3. Develop a document outlining the core principles and values of the incubator model, including non-exploitation, community ownership, reinvestment into HIV-related services, and a rights-based approach.

4. Draft and finalise guidelines for sex worker-led social enterprises, intended for publication and use by community-based organisations.

5. Develop practical tools and frameworks to support the planning, launching, and management of values-based income-generating initiatives by sex worker-led organisations.

6. Develop guidance on risk mitigation, reinvestment mechanisms, and organisational accountability, including legal, financial, and operational considerations relevant to the EECA region.

7. Design capacity-building components of the incubator model, including proposed training modules and coaching or mentorship formats.

8. Conduct a mapping of potential partners, donors, and hubs that support social enterprises and start-ups and could be relevant for sex worker-led organisations in the region.

9. Facilitate or contribute to online consultations with national partners, especially in one pre-selected country where we will start a social enterprise in 2026.

10. Integrate feedback from SWAN’s coordination team and national partners into the final incubator model and related documents (listed above) and provide regular coordination and progress updates to the SWAN coordination team throughout the consultancy period.

11. Prepare and submit a final package of deliverables, including all developed documents, tools, and a short summary note with recommendations for implementation.

The consultant is expected to deliver:

– Core principles and values (non-exploitation, reinvestment in HIV services, rights-based approach)

– Guidelines for sex worker-led social enterprises. 

– Practical tools and frameworks for planning, launching, and managing values-based income-generating initiatives. 

– Considerations for risk mitigation, reinvestment into HIV services, and organizational accountability. Capacity-building components (training modules, coaching formats).

– Monitoring and learning approach

– Mapping of potential new partners, donors and Hubs who support social enterprises and start-ups. 

All deliverables should be submitted in English (Russian is an asset but not required).

Deliverables and timeline:

• The consultant will develop the methodology and conduct data collection among members and other sources between the 1st of March and the 30th of April 2026.
• The Consultant will work on the development of the above-listed documents in consultation with, and in close collaboration with, the Capacity Building Programme officer and the SWAN secretariat between 30th of April and 31st of July 2026.
• The Consultant will submit a draft of all the above-listed documents related to the social enterprise incubator to the SWAN secretariat and Management Committee in English by 20th September 2026.
• The Consultant will submit the final documents in English to the SWAN Secretariat and Management Committee by 20th October 2026.

Requirements for the position:

Demonstrated professional experience in social enterprise development, social entrepreneurship, or community-led economic models.

Experience designing incubator, accelerator, or capacity-building models for grassroots, civil society, or community-based organisations.

Strong understanding of values-based and rights-based economic approaches, including non-exploitative models and reinvestment into social or health services.

Experience working with marginalised or criminalised communities, and a strong awareness of issues related to stigma, structural inequality, and community safety.

Regional experience in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia (CEECA).

Experience facilitating or contributing to consultative and participatory processes, including online consultations with multiple stakeholders.

Excellent analytical and writing skills in English, with the ability to produce high-quality technical documents. Fluency or working knowledge of Russian is an advantage but not a requirement.

Strong organisational and communication skills, including the ability to work remotely and coordinate effectively with a regional team.

Remuneration: 

SWAN has a budget of approximately $10,000 for this consultancy position. The consultant must be able to provide a Tax Residency Certificate from their home country.

Application:

Interested applicants should submit their applications  and/or any supporting documents to  swansecretariat@swannet.org .

Deadline for submitting the application is February 22 th, 2026. Interviews will take place the LAST week of February.

The Sex Workers’ Rights Advocacy Network (SWAN) is happy to share the news many have been waiting for: the SHIFT program has now officially launched!

SHIFT is a 3-year regional program that will give sex workers in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA) legal and economic tools needed to fight for their human rights, access to health, security and safety. The programme is funded by the Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF).

Background 

Sex workers in the EECA region face particularly harsh conditions: an escalating human rights crisis, laws targeting the Civil Society, including anti-gender and foreign agent laws, and a high rate of HIV infections. AIDS-related deaths are on the rise, while the funding is shrinking, making HIV prevention and treatment even harder to access. The SHIFT Programme responds to these crises with solutions rooted in respect, human rights, and community care. 

How it works: 

SWAN will work in 5 countries: Ukraine, Lithuania, Armenia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, focusing on two thematic areas: legal and economic empowerment.

Legal Empowerment: Navigating and challenging hostile legal systems

Building the legal literacy of sex workers led organizations is key to reducing legal harms, strengthening access to justice, and ensuring safer, non-discriminatory access to health, including HIV services. 

Sex workers and their organisations will receive the tools to: 

• Understand, navigate, and influence the legal systems
• Develop a Decriminalization Roadmap
• Challenge punitive legislation
• Address the misuse of on non-sex-work-specific laws targeting sex workers and NGOs
• Engage policymakers through advocacy

Economic Empowerment: Creating financial independence 

In the current shrinking funding, sex workers led organisations need  to develop new income streams to sustain their vital work. 

The center of the programme’s Economic Empowerment stream is a regional Social Enterprise Incubator that will offer guidance, training, risk-mitigation tools, and a monitoring and learning framework, alongside sub-grant to launch social enterprises in one country.

Sex workers and their organisations will receive the tools to: 

• Design, launch, and strengthen community-owned, non-exploitative social enterprises that generate income
• Reduce reliance on short-term grants and donors
• Make income generating activities ethical, feminist, rights-based, and community-accountable 
• Reinvest profits into HIV services, rights-based advocacy, and community support.

By supporting sex workers’ led entrepreneurship grounded in human rights and reinvestment in HIV services, SHIFT protects communities in hostile and underfunded environments.

Bigger picture, and plans for the future

Integrating legal literacy and economic empowerment in community leadership is essential for marginalized communities to sustain their movements and continuously fight for justice, safety, and inclusion. 

Over three years, SHIFT aims to improve understanding of sex work models and the necessity of decriminalization, strengthen resistance against anti-NGO laws, reduce legal harassment of sex workers, and enable sex worker-led organizations to sustain HIV services through diversified funding. 

But it doesn’t end there. 

We hope SHIFT will pioneer models of legal and economic empowerment that can be replicated and expanded. 

We hope to continue the SHIFT towards sustainable, rights-based, participatory solutions – until all sex work is recognized as work, and sex workers have the freedom and safety they deserve.  

Turkey Continues Repression Against LGBTIQ+ and Civil Society.

The Sex Workers’ Advocacy Network (SWAN) expresses its strong solidarity with Defne Güzel, a Turkish trans woman and prominent human rights defender, who is currently facing the risk of up to 3 years of imprisonment for her peaceful work advancing LGBTIQ+ rights in Turkey.

Defne Güzel is the Chairperson of the May 17 Association – one of the leading LGBTIQ+ organisations in Turkey. In 2024, the association became a target of the Turkish Ministry of Interior, as part of a broader pattern of escalating repression against LGBTIQ+ activists and civil society organisations across the country.

Following a wave of inspections and legal actions targeting local LGBTIQ+ organisations, criminal proceedings were initiated against Defne Güzel in connection with a book and an exhibition catalogue published by the May 17 Association. Turkish authorities claim that the catalogue and the OII Europe’s book “My Intersex Story” are “contrary to public morality,” implying that they promote harmful messages through LGBTIQ+ agenda. The indictment has been accepted by the Ankara 74th Criminal Court of First Instance and seeks to impose a prison sentence from 1 to 3 years and deprivation Defne Güzel of the rights to vote and be elected within a civil society sector again.

SWAN calls upon human rights defenders, international organisations, and civil society actors to publicly express their support for Defne Güzel. The ongoing repression of LGBTIQ+ activists in Turkey represents a serious threat to all minorities and marginalized groups across Europe and Asia, reflecting the growing influence of far-right agendas and an alarming trend toward restricting civic space.

As SWAN, we urge the Turkish authorities to immediately halt all legal proceedings against Defne Güzel and the May 17Association, and to uphold their international human rights obligations, including the protection of freedom of expression and association.

For solidarity, justice, and human rights.

Contact information:

Yildiz Tar
Editor in Chief
Kaos GL 
yildiz.tar@kaosgl.org 
www.kaosgl1.org 
www.17mayis.org

Note to the editor:
The Sex Workers’ Rights Advocacy Network (SWAN) is a sex worker-led regional network in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia that advocates for the human rights of female, male and transgender sex workers. SWAN was founded in 2006 and was officially registered as the SWAN Foundation in January of 2012.  

The temperatures in Kyiv are currently between -5 and -10 Celsius during the day, and up to -20 at night. According to the forecasts, all of February will stay this cold. At the same time, the heating in KYIV might not be restored at all in this heating season.

Sex workers led organization legalife ukraine is raising money for a generator. It would let them keep the minimum working capacity to support the community all over the country.

A generator costs ~1500$.

It’s not that much. It‘s 100 people, 15 $ (13€) each.

We can do this. Share this call to help reach 100 people. If you donated, let us know so we can track progress!

Account name/ title CO:

“LEGALIFE-UKRAINE”

Account number: UA653282090000026001010050804

Address Account holder:KIEV, Ukraine, 02093

Account currency: EURO

Bank name: BANK PIVDENNYI

Bank address: Krasnova 6/1, Odessa, Ukraine

SWIFT Code / ABA: PIVDUA22

For information about transfers in USD / UAH see the Legalife Website:

legalifeukraine.com/en/cooperation/

Deadline to apply: 13.02.2026, 23:59

Please see the term of references below, and share this open call with your networks.

Or, you can download the terms of reference as PDFs here:

Administrative assistant

Terms of reference

SWAN – Sex Workers’ Rights Advocacy Network is a regional network operating across Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA). SWAN works to advance human rights, health, and safety, and advocates for the decriminalization of sex work through regional coordination, advocacy, capacity-building, and community-led programming.

SWAN Foundation is seeking a responsible, accurate, and communicative person for a part-time (20 hours/week) Administrative Assistant position. The Remote Administrative Assistant will work under the direct supervision of the Operations Manager and will be responsible for managing SWAN procedures and other tasks assigned by the Operations Manager and the Executive Director. Currently, SWAN is based in Budapest but will move to Vienna in the first half of the year.

The Administrative Assistant must be based in Vienna, Austria. The Vienna location is required for work logistics, liaising with local authorities/institutions/suppliers/banks, and supporting compliance with Austrian administrative and NGO regulations.

Duties and responsibilities: 

1. Administrative and financial support

• Assist in monitoring receipts
• Drafting cost expenditure tables

2. Communications

• Process incoming correspondence, including faxes and e-mails and transfer to the appropriate staff member;
• Maintain and update national/international partners and media contact database;
• Attend meetings as required; prepare and distribute meeting agendas, materials and minutes;
• Act as intermediary between SWAN and local bodies (government institutions), suppliers, service providers, banks, etc. 
• Maintain travel arrangements and logistics for project-related trips and meetings;
• Address travel visa and tax issues of SWAN staff and consultants

3. Virtual Workspace and/or Office management

• Order office and IT supplies;
• Monitor workspace  needs;
• Maintain operating records, including staff and partner information, suppliers and service-provider contacts;
• Ensure effective and safe transfer and storage of files and records, including back-up of files and update of SWAN software;
• Oversee all aspects of general remote working coordination;
• Keep track of SWAN incoming and outgoing posts.

4. Membership management 

• Manage SWAN member applications
• Maintain a database of members and ensure their contact details and website profiles are up to date. 

NOTE: The responsibilities of the Administrative Assistant are not limited to the tasks listed above, but will vary depending on the nature of SWAN projects.

Required qualification and skills:

• Knowledge of English and German (excellent oral and written) 
• Knowledge of Russian or other Slavic languages is a plus
• Demonstrated knowledge of Austrian NGO regulations, legal and administrative procedures, and local compliance requirements is essential, as the role involves supporting SWAN’s operations in Vienna and coordinating with local authorities, institutions, suppliers, and banks.
• Some experience in the sphere of office management and records keeping
• Computer literacy (Microsoft Office, email, internet, search engines, basic desktop publishing)
• Good writing, analytical and problem‐solving skills
• Knowledge of principles and practices of organization, planning, records management and general administration
• Ability to operate standard office equipment, including but not limited to, computers,

phone systems, calculators, copiers and facsimile machines

• Ability to follow oral and written instructions
• Ability to communicate effectively and work in a diverse, multicultural environment

Start date: As soon as possible (preferred), or upon mutual agreement.

Compensation

The approximate budget for this position is 397182 HUF/month, 20 hours per week. Probationary period of 3 months. 

We highly encourage sex workers and other marginalized communities to apply! As a sex worker-led organisation, priority will be given to suitably qualified applicants who have sex work experience.

NOTE FOR INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS: SWAN is based in Budapest, Hungary. This position is open to candidates based in Vienna, Austria. The role will be carried out primarily remotely. Selected candidates will be contracted as consultants and will be required to provide a Tax Residency Certificate.

To Apply: Please send your CV in English, a copy of your school certificate, and contact details for 2 references to the SWAN Secretariat at swansecretariat@swannet.org before 14.02.2026

SWAN 2025: Advancing Sex Workers’ Rights in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia

In 2025, the Sex Workers’ Rights Advocacy Network (SWAN) continued to serve as a shared voice for sex worker-led organizations across Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia (CEECA), helping bring common priorities and challenges to the forefront. The year presented significant challenges, including shrinking civic space, restrictive laws, and cuts in international funding, but it also marked important achievements in advocacy, partnership building, and community empowerment.

A Complex Landscape in the CEECA Region

Sex workers and the organizations supporting them continue to face multi-layered discrimination and legal barriers throughout the region. Countries such as Hungary, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan have introduced or expanded “foreign agent” and anti-NGO laws, restricting foreign funding and labeling human rights organizations as threats to national security. These laws impose invasive audits, require public disclosure of funding, and carry potential criminal penalties, creating a climate of fear that undermines freedom of association and assembly.

International funding for sex worker-led organizations remains disproportionately low, accounting for only a fraction of total human rights or LGBTQΙ+ funding. Cuts from major donors such as the Robert Carr Fund, the Global Fund, and the Open Society Foundation have forced organizations to scale back vital services, including psychosocial support, legal aid, advocacy, education, and harm reduction programs, while having to adapt programs to meet donor priorities rather than the actual needs of their communities.

Global Advocacy and Policy Engagement

SWAN maintained an active presence at the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) throughout 2025.

“For sex workers, especially from countries with strict political environments / foreign agent laws (regions like Eastern Europe and Central Asia) where legal remedies are often unavailable, and justice systems are deeply politicised, participating in HRC processes is not just symbolic. It is a critical tool of visibility, resistance, and learning.

Through this engagement, sex workers become more aware of how to use international mechanisms to document rights violations, raise community voices, and put pressure on states — even when local systems are closed or hostile.”

– Trajche Janushev, SWAN Executive Director

 The network contributed to the 80th thematic report on freedom of assembly and association, highlighting the immediate impacts of restrictive laws and shrinking funding on sex worker-led organizations. SWAN also submitted input to the 2026 thematic report on gender equality, digital space, and artificial intelligence, emphasizing how emerging technologies disproportionately affect women, transgender, and gender-diverse sex workers.

Through interventions, submissions, and participation in side events, SWAN amplified sex workers’ voices and expertise on the international stage. The organization also engaged in broader advocacy initiatives, including International Safe Abortion Day, and participated in discussions on digital rights, online safety, and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).

Partnerships and Regional Solidarity

In 2025, SWAN strengthened collaborations with regional and international partners. Joint initiatives with the Sexual Rights Initiative (SRI) and the Member Associations of the International Planned Parenthood Federation’s European Network (IPPF EN Member Associations) focused on improving access to SRHR for sex workers. Collaboration with EHRA and ECOM through the Resilient Project enhanced capacity building and strengthened the resilience of sex worker-led organizations in the face of shrinking civic space.

These partnerships advanced intersectional advocacy, connecting sex worker rights with broader agendas including LGBTQI+ rights, migrant rights, and gender equality, fostering a stronger and united front against repression and stigma.

SWAN Secretariat: Staff and Volunteers

SWAN welcomed two new staff members. Luiza Vardanyan as Advocacy & Policy Officer  brought extensive experience in law and human rights, with previous roles at national and regional human rights organizations.

Wszebor Sienkiewicz joined as Media and Communications Officer.  Wszebor is a creative activist with a background in visual arts and media design, with ten years of experience in communicating for social change.  

The network also started a volunteer program, designed to nurture new leaders and foster solidarity across the movements. Volunteers contribute a wide range of skills, from legal and human rights expertise to communications, research, and advocacy, supporting campaigns, policy initiatives, and community programs. In 2025, SWAN welcomed several dedicated activists: Alex Shah, Miranda Gkanetsou, Engin Erisken, Pedro Ivo Oliveira and Maxime Thebaud.

Management and Governance

The annual Management Committee meeting in Vienna allowed SWAN to evaluate regional developments, adopt new organizational policies, including Conflict of Interest, Equality, Human Resources, and Financial Management policies, and set strategic priorities for the coming year. These measures enhanced transparency, accountability, and operational resilience.

Risk Assessment and Security Measures

In collaboration with Front Line Defenders, SWAN conducted comprehensive risk assessments addressing the threats posed by the anti-NGO bill in Hungary, the shrinking of civic space, and the funding landscape. Special attention was given to the implications of Hungary’s proposed anti-NGO bill and related regulatory pressures, given that SWAN is currently registered in Budapest. This process resulted in a detailed Risk Assessment and Protection Plan outlining key vulnerabilities and corresponding mitigation strategies.

Looking Ahead

Despite increasing difficulties in the political landscape, SWAN not only does not give up, but continues to grow. 

SWAN will launch a new regional programme, Sustainable Health, Inclusion, and Futures for Transformation (SHIFT), focused on strengthening the legal empowerment and economic resilience of sex workers across the CEECA region. The programme will include regional and national legal-literacy trainings, community-led advocacy initiatives, and the development of practical tools and guidance for values-based social enterprises led by sex worker organizations. Through sub-grants, mentoring, and cross-country exchange, SHIFT aims to support long-term sustainability, safety, and economic autonomy of sex worker-led movements.

We are also recruiting new staff members: Capacity Building Programme Officer and  Policy and Advocacy Officer. Please share the open calls with your networks!

Stay tuned! Follow us on social media or sign up to the developing newsletter.