Video courtesy of Dale at APNSW.

Watch this video in China here.  在这里观看这个视频在中国 

Read the speech in Chinese here.  中国在这里读的讲话 

También puede leer el discurso aquí en español. You can also read the speech in Spanish here.

The Association of Women in Development Forum is currently taking place in Turkey. In a speech of quiet intensity Kaythi Win delivered a plenary that got 80% of the 2000 feminists in the audience on their feet in support of sex workers rights.  Her speech in full follows.

PROS Network (Providers and Resources Offering Services to sex workers) participated in two studies in New York around the impact of policies that use of condoms as ‘evidence of prostitution’.

UNFPA Africa’s website features this story marking the launch of this resource, which can be found in our resources section here.

Source: Extract from the full story on the UNFPA Africa website.

Sex workers are a critical aspect of Namibia’s plans to tackle HIV and AIDS. However, up until 2011 little was known about their needs and challenges and nor were there national guidelines for effective, rights-based programming with sex workers. A series of rapid assessments on sex work and HIV was conducted by sex workers with the support of UNFPA and UNAIDS Namibia and the Society for Family Health (SFH). This was implemented as part of UNAIDS’ programme acceleration funding (PAF) award to UNFPA Namibia.

Press Release from: English Collective of Prostitutes

As arrests, raids and prosecutions of sex workers increase in Olympic boroughs and throughout the UK, calls for the decriminalisation of prostitution highlight the need to protect sex workers from rape and violence.

The ongoing ‘sex-trafficking’ controversy surrounding Village Voice Media-owned Backpage.com (a website where escorts can advertise their services) continues. 

Three new resources have been published by UNFPA / UNAIDS, in partnership with ASWA and The Society for Family Health, on sex worker rights and HIV in Namibia and are now available in our 'Resources' section (or just click on the name of the document below.)

Many people will have been following the developing news stories about New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, who attacks the sex industry and promotes a 'rescue and rehabiitation' approach.

Chinese authorities hold periodic sweeps to detain sex workers, drug users, and other ‘social undesirables’ en masse in advance of national holidays and major government conferences.  

Chinese sex workers says that police crackdowns don’t stop sex work – they only drive sex workers further underground, putting them at higher risk of violence and HIV/AIDS. 

Source: NSWP member organisation Stella press release.

Ontario Court of Appeal Judgment

Partial Victory:  Judgment Abandons Street Sex Workers

It is with a mix of joy and disappointment that we have learned of the decision by the five Ontario Court of Appeal judges that recognize the unconstitutionality of the articles criminalizing bawdy houses and living on the avails of prostitution, except in cases of exploitation. It is a victory in and of itself to be able to work legally indoors, alone or in groups and to have the right to have people around to increase security, such as receptionists, drivers, managers, agency owners, etc.