On 21 January 2021 European Parliament voted on a resolution that ‘urges the Commission to establish a concrete framework for the rights and protection of sex workers during and after a crisis; further insists on the importance of including measures and strategies that tackle the discrimination faced by sex workers in access to funding, housing, […]
17th of December is marked by sex workers internationally as the International day to End Violence against Sex Workers to raise awareness of the violence against sex workers worldwide, demand justice for the human rights violations sex workers face and to remember the lives of friends and colleagues we have lost. 2020 has been a particularly difficult […]
SWAN Programme Officers, with regional experts and activists from Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan as co-facilitators, organised the online training series on SWIT. Each webinar focused on different parts of SWIT such as Community Empowerment, Violence, Condom and Lubricant Programming, Community-led Services, Program Management and Organisational Capacity Building and 15 Activists were guided through chapter by chapter […]
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe and Central Asia, sex workers have reported extreme concerns with the dramatic impact on their living conditions, including the ability to earn a living and access to health. ICRSE and SWAN have published several statements, as well as calls for action and policy demands, to alert authorities and policy makers about the situation. This resource was developed as part of a monitoring exercise to document the impact of COVID-19 pandemic and related measures on sex workers’ access to health services.
Their voices were heard internationally, drawing media attention and sparking a strike amongst sex workers in France that lasted for 8 days. Since then, 2nd of June is celebrated every year as International Sex Workers’ Day and accepted as the start of the modern sex workers’ rights movement.
These activities include capacity building and community mobilization activities, advocacy tools and opportunities, regional projects and initiatives as well as a glimpse in SWAN major internal processes.
We thank our members, allies and funders for making all of this possible. We are also looking forward for future collaborations and many more joint successes towards the final goal – sex workers’ rights equally enjoyed across the region and globally.
As the COVID-19 restrictions continue to stay in place, their crippling effects on marginalised communities grow deeper. For sex workers this means complete loss of income, danger of losing their homes and struggle to provide food for themselves and their families. The very limited government protection measures in the region are not accessible to most sex workers, which leaves them with only the meager support organisations are able to provide. The poverty and lack of support pushes many sex workers to violate lockdown rules and keep working in order to survive.
COVID-19 continues to spread around the world and its devastating effects are becoming more visible especially within homeless people, drug users, people with disability, undocumented migrants, sex workers and many others. Sex workers have always been in intersection with the most marginalised communities and faced discrimination and violence from police and state actors. Now as this health crisis is expanding, what we are seeing is an immense increase of vulnerability and deterioration of conditions and safety.
The Program Officer is responsible for managing the network’s capacity building and mentoring programs, along with all other related projects and programs implemented with SWAN members. The work will require a combination of strong interpersonal and coordination skills, with an ability to recognise and respond to different regional and members’ needs through effective use of bi-lingual electronic communication tools and networking. The Program Officer reports to the SWAN Executive Director, and works closely with other staff members.
On this day, our organisations aim to draw specific attention to the violence and discrimination faced by trans sex workers in Europe and Central Asia. Just like in the rest of the world, trans sex workers in our region are experiencing extreme violence that is fuelled by stigma and lack of protective laws and human rights. Sex workers are subject to discrimination and violence from members of the public, health care professionals and the members of their own families on a daily basis.