International Women’s Day: Defending the Rights and Dignity of All Women, Including Sex Workers
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.