NSWP has received funding to support the development of advocacy tools around rights based economic empowerment for sex workers. The first year of this three year project will focus on documenting the work done by sex worker led groups in Asia Pacific, the final two years of the programme will focus on building capacity and documenting of sex worker led responses in Africa.  APNSW are seeking to recruit a policy consultant to work with APNSW/NSWP members in developing economic empowerment advocacy tools that can be used at national, regional and global levels. This project is part of the Dutch collaboration Stepping Up, Stepping Out 2 funded by Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs until 31 December 2015.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS:  Wednesday, 10 April 2013 @ 24.00.

The National Network of Sex Workers in India have appealed to the President of India to reject the 'Ordinance on the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill 2012' which was cleared by the cabinet on 1st February. 

A proposed section in this bill conflates trafficking with sex work and essentially defines all 'prostitution' as exploitation, further eroding the dignity of voluntary and consenting sex workers, against the internationally recognised interpretation of the UN Protocol, 2000.  If accepted this bill will criminalise sex workers.

You can read the 2 page (PDF) press release (in English) as published on SANGRAM's website below.

Yo can read more coverage regarding the press relase as reported in the Times of India and The Hindu.

• Criminalisation of sex work increases vulnerability to HIV by fuelling stigma and discrimination, limits access to sexual health services and condoms.
• Removing legal penalties for sex work allows HIV prevention and treatment programmes to reach sex workers and their clients more effectively.
• There is no evidence that decriminalisation has increased sex work. 

These are some of the findings in an unprecedented study issued today by the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

From Rightswork.org

Read the review of Prabha Kotiswaran’s “Dangerous Sex, Invisible Labor: Sex Work and the Law in India” By Chaitanya Lakkimsetti at Rightswork.org.  This new book dispels this myth of sex workers as predominantly trafficked and as quintessential victims of violence.