Members of Sex Workers’s Rights Advocacy Network (SWAN) have approved the new Network strategy at the recent Network meeting that took place in Budapest on 15-16 October 2014. The meeting gathered representatives of 24 organisations from all of the 18 member countries for an overview of the work done by the Network in 2013 as well as current projects, evaluation of the previous strategy for 2011-2013, and visibility of the Network among other issues.
Members of Sex Workers’s Rights Advocacy Network (SWAN) have approved the new Network strategy at the recent Network meeting that took place in Budapest on 15-16 October 2014. The meeting gathered representatives of 24 organisations from all of the 18 member countries for an overview of the work done by the Network in 2013 as well as current projects, evaluation of the previous strategy for 2011-2013, and visibility of the Network among other issues.
The new strategy for 2014-2017 was developed by the Network’s Steering Committee and Secretariat with participation of member organisations on the basis of evaluation of the previous strategy and its implementation. The new strategy has reduced number of objectives compared to the previous one with clear rationale and sample activities.
The Network goal for the period of 2014-2017 is to strengthen advocacy by civil society including groups of sex workers for a safer legal environment that ensures human rights of sex workers in Central-Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
The four objectives of the new Strategy are:
1. Create and sustain a platform of CEECA country advocates for monitoring, analyzing and improving the legal environment around sex work, including exchange of tools and advocacy experiences.
2. Improve sex worker capacities to engage in advocacy.
3. Expand support of regional/international bodies and NGOs working on rights and health towards SWAN mission and values.
4. Strengthen SWAN governance and financial sustainability.
The Network meeting was then followed by a 2-day joint meeting with ICRSE, during which training on advocacy for sex workers was also organized.