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(с благодарностью SWAN)

Further to the news story earlier this month is the offical statement from Tais Plus:

In October 2012 the Ministry of the Interior of Kyrgyzstan initiated a new draft bill to introduce an administrative offence for sex work.

Tais Plus with numerous allies – organisations and individuals – implemented a wide advocacy campaign to stop this initiative of the Ministry of the Interior. Financial support was provided by Urgent Action Fund. Bishkek Feminist Collective SQ provided incredible promotion of all our efforts against the new draft bill.

We mobilised sex workers, allies and organisations actively involved in sex work issues across the country. Public hearings with participation from civil society, government representatives and sex workers took place in 6 cities – in almost all regional centres.

The Petition calling to stop the draft bill was signed by more 1000 people via online and personal communication on the streets.  Face-to-face communication with parliament members and staff of the Ministry of the Interior took place during the official meeting of the Parliament Committee responsible for reviewing this draft bill.

Unbelievable support from Human Rights Watch and a consortium of international women and sex workers leadership organisations allowed us to show the people making the decision that our country and our issue is of concern to international human rights defenders.

Finally in February 2013 mass media posted the official news about withdrawing the draft bill on the punishment of sex work on Kyrgyzstan.

Thank you to all our supporters. It is not possible to make full list of them all here.