Turkey
On May 1, 2015 Red Umbrella Sexual Health and Human Rights Association marched in the streets of Ankara under the red umbrellas shouting “Fight Poverty, Not Sex Work”. The meeting point of the demonstration was in front of the Ankara train station. The allies joined the sex workers there to support their struggle against sexism, homophobia/transphobia, and any other kind of discrimination and violence.
Irina Maslova, leader of the sex workers’ and their allies’ movement to protect health, dignity and human rights “Silver Rose”:
For sex workers globally it is a day when they join other workers’ in demanding respect for labor, social and human rights.
SWAN joins the global celebration of May Day and sex workers’ struggle to work free of stigma, discrimination and violence. SWAN demands recognition of sex work as work, safe working conditions for all sex workers, and removal of punitive laws which criminalize and endanger sex workers!
Freedom, equality, justice and solidarity to sex workers! Together we are stronger!
Purpose of Position
SWAN Foundation seeks a full-time program Officer to coordinate human rights and HIV-related initiatives, foster community-led initiatives and assist Executive Director in management tasks. The program officer will be based in Budapest, work closely with the SWAN Advocacy Officer and Media/Communications Officer and will report to the Executive Director.
The focus of the position is:
1) Support the Executive Director in fundraising, developing and implementing programs on sex worker health and human rights.
The meeting was organized with goal to open discussion on the rights of woman sex workers within CEDAW framework, and specifically provide opportunities to identify, mitigate and address the main concerns within the CEDAW Committee regarding sex work and approaches towards rights of women sex workers, build understanding and consensus on the grave and systematic nature of the violations against women sex wo
HOPS and STAR from Macedonia organized several events for the day. HOPS has previously announced a call for best media article from journalists on the issue of sex work. On 17th of December the best 3 awarded journalists/articles were announced and published on media. HOPS also launched a video speaking about Merseyside model and Ugly Mugs scheme on addressing violence against sex workers (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oxc-QHupUOA&feature=youtu.be ). STAR has organized a traditional red umbrella street march, hich was greatly covered great by national media.
Please, read the SWAN – ICRSE joint statement on the International Day to End Violence against Sex Workers.
This booklet is aimed at sex workers, sex worker groups, organizations working with sex workers, women’s groups, drug users’ groups, LGBT groups, human rights organizations and other friends who want to know more about efforts to prevent and respond to violence against sex workers. We are sharing our experiences in the hope that it proves as helpful as learning from others’ experiences was to us. We also hope that it allows more people to know about the work that SWAN, sex workers and allies are doing to end human rights abuses against sex workers.