On 21st February, Empower held a very successful launch of their anti trafficking report "Hit & Run: Sex Worker's Research on Anti trafficking in Thailand."

The launch also saw a special exhibition of a tapestry, 'The Mida Tapestry', sewn by sex workers that speaks of the experience of a 'police rescue' event at Mida Karaoke Bar.

Empower also premiered this short film "Last Rescue in Siam" (above) made by sex workers in Chiang Mai.

Novarstis, a multi-billion dollar Swiss pharma company may get the Indian Supreme Court to shut down the supply of affordable medicines. Novartis is suing the Indian government, if Novartis wins, it will threaten Indian companies’ ability to produce low-cost medicines for malaria, AIDS, cancer and other life-threatening diseases, depriving millions around the world of the treatments they desperately need and threatening thousands of Indian jobs. 

Sign the petition against this action on the AVAAZ website.

This document has been updated following discussions at the consensus meeting on the need to highlight explicitly the responses provided on collective empowerment. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) is developing guidelines for evidence-based interventions
for the prevention and treatment of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in low- and
middle-income countries.

The Global Network of Sex Work Projects (NSWP) oversaw a civil society consultation of sex workers commissioned by the WHO to gather feedback on the proposed guidelines and produced this report, entitled:

'Female, Male and Transgender Sex Workers' Perspectives on HIV & STI Prevention and Treatment Services: a global sex worker consultation.'

Source: PlusNews

While a number of Asian and Pacific countries are addressing legal barriers to accessing HIV information and treatment, there is still a gap between policy and implementation, say officials.

The Global Network of Sex Work Projects condemns the current situation of sex worker activists in Kenya and the harassment being experienced by human rights defenders in Nairobi.

The following is a summary of the press release from colleagues in Kenya and South Africa, in relation to recent events in Nairobi.  You can also view or download the full press release below.

NSWP Board Member, Thierry Schaffauser, appears in this short video, commissioned by IPPF, for the 'Learning Positive' Campaign.  This campaign offers educational resources, raising awareness of and exploring attitudes to HIV. 

Thierry talks about how sex workers are one of the key populations affected by HIV and some of the issues that make sex workers vulnerable, including stigma and criminalisation, as well as raising the issue of targeting awareness and prevention programmes at the clients of sex workers.