"An incredible number of 470 NGOs and civil society organisations as well as 45 academics and researchers have signed letters to the members of the European Parliament asking them to reject a report by MEP Mary Honeyball, which asks EU Member States to consider the criminalisation of the clients of sex workers.
To support sex workers movement in Europe and Central Asia we are asking you to:
• Sign/endorse the ICRSE letter to Members of European Parliament
• Contact your Members of European Parliament
• Sign and share the petition
• Forward this campaign to your networks
We all lost an extraordinary advocate, a true fighter whose strength, dedication and determination to make the world better place for sex workers and people living with HIV, set a genuine example for the rest of us. Many of us lost a mentor, an empathic and supportive friend whose company will be missed forever.
We send our sincerest condolences to his partner, family and friends in these difficult times.
Rest in peace Andrew, and thank you for everything. We will honor your legacy by continuing and enhancing the work you were doing.
His sudden death is an enormous loss to the sex workers rights and HIV treatment activist movement, and leaves us without words at this moment as the tears flow.
Our heart and thoughts are with Dale his long-term partner, his friends and family at this devastating time.
NSWP will collect and post tributes to his life and work on a memorial page on the NSWP website, if you have memories to share please email them to [email protected].
SZEXE: Why do you think December 17 is important and what is your message to fellow sex workers?
”This day is important to me because it is the only Day in the year when I have a chance to speak about my human rights and problems I face as a sex worker – not just me, but also all my colleges sex workers worldwide. We all face different problems and suffer all kind of violence. Luckily I haven’t face any kind of violence, but I know some of my colleges who did, that is why I mark this Day to commiserate with all friends and colleges who suffered from violence and to stop circle of violence.
On the streets, sex workers are exposed to ill-treatment and torture by the police. They are pushed further into the streets and the center of violence through arbitrary fines. Police send gangs to attack sex workers.
Sex workers’ houses are raided and sealed. While being pushed out to work on the streets, sex workers experience all types of violence from customers, police, and gangs.
Opinion evidence of woman working in sex business
„I work in street sex business for 18 years. For few years I cooperate with NGO Odyseus, which like the only one provides program Red umbrella focused primary on female sexworkers. Red umbrella program offers special counseling, crisis intervention, information and workshops about safer sex.
17 December, stop the violence against sex workers, a day when in Macedonia and in a other countries a red umbrellas marches are organized. The first march was held in Venice in 2001 and trademark of the march were red umbrellas which was sending a powerful message, umbrella as a protection, and red colure as a power.