About the Network of Sex Work Projects

In 1991 an informal alliance of sex workers and organizations that provide services to sex workers formed as the Network of Sex Work Projects. NSWP is a legally constituted international organisation for promoting sex workers' health and human rights. With member organizations in more than 40 countries, the Network develops partnerships with technical support agencies to work on independently-financed projects.

NSWP membership is open to sex worker organisations and sex work projects who include both sex workers and allies who support the aims of the NSWP and agree with the membership criteria specified in the registration document, which states the principles and values that organisations must agree to in order to become members. These are:

• Acceptance of sex work as work
• Opposition of criminalisation of sex work
• Supporting self-organising and self-determination of sex workers

The membership application is available from the membership page.

Key Information

Introduction to the Issues Regarding Sex Work

The Network's Mission

NSWP's Board of Directors

Constitution of the NSWP (PDF)

As at August 2002

Conference Reports

Reports from NSWP member-groups on international conferences around the world

Public Announcements & Reports

Job Offer: Information Technology Consultant in Sexual Health and Rights Project — January 2007

Provides a few details about the three-day meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia of 30 sex-worker network representatives and advocates from around the world to develop ways to better communicate, share resources, and campaign through improved information technology (IT) tools.

Fostering Enabling Legal and Policy Environments to Protect the Health and Rights of Sex Workers — Johannesburg, South Africa, June 22-24, 2006

Provides a few details about the goals of the meeting, and about the funder, as well as a link to the OSI report.

Sex Worker Health and Rights: Where is the Funding? (PDF: OSI-FUNDING2006.PDF) — From Sexual Health and Rights Project (SHARP), Open Society Institute, June 2006.

This report was commissioned to gauge the extent of existing funding for sex worker health and rights organizations and to examine the implications for the funding — or donor — community as well as for groups around the world that work on sex worker rights and health issues. The Open Society Institute wishes to thank all of the people who gave their time and shared their knowledge for the research and reading of the findings, including Sam Avrett, Melissa Ditmore, Julia Greenberg, Alice Miller, Juhu Thukral, and Petra Timmermans.

Network of Sex Work Projects Meeting — Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 16-19 July 2006

A small group NSWP members from all over the world met in July to discuss the structure of the network. Proposals were made and feedback from each region will determine the future structure of the NSWP. This report includes descriptions of proposals and two draft mission statements. Please read them and write to the rapporteur from your region with your suggestions. Do not limit your suggestions to the structures here! You may have a better idea for the future of NSWP.

There are two proposals of "networks of networks," which are similar but one has clearer criteria. The proposals differ in whether to adapt the mission statement or to start over, and even in creating a new network with a new name. A second level of organizing as a social movement was also proposed — which is important — from North America and Africa where networks are less formal. Another proposal was very much like the current amorphous structure and this was not discussed further.

The draft mission statements both borrow from the ICRSE Declaration of the Rights of Sex Workers in Europe. However, one has been altered to push labour rights to the top of the list of rights for sex workers.

Amsterdam Report: The VIII International Conference on AIDS/III STD World Congress, July 19-24, 1992, Amsterdam — By Andrew Sorfleet, September, 1992.

Contains the NSWP's original list of concerns and goals to guide the organization.

NSWP 2006 Year End Report — From Melissa Ditmore, January 3, 2007

Letter to Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Letter regarding the foundation's financial support of "rescue" missions by the International Justice Mission (PDF: GATES-060910.PDF) — From Melissa Ditmore and Khartini Slamah, NSWP, September 10, 2006

Health and human rights advocates denounce Gates Foundation's support of raids on sex workers — August 2006

Advocates gather in Toronto to promote rights and safety of groups vulnerable to HIV/AIDS. — XVI International HIV/AIDS Conference, Toronto, August 14, 2006

NSWP Reports on UNGASS 2006: The United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS — New York, May 31 - June 2, 2006

• Intervention by Martine Ago, Ivory Coast — The United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS, New York, June 1, 2006
• Intervention par Martine Ago, Côte D'Ivoire — The United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS, New York, June 1, 2006 (En français)

We Condemn To The Highest The Degree The Barbaric Acts Alleged To Be Police And Uniformed Officers Of Guatemala! — December 30, 2005

Letter in response to Mills et al's "Media reporting of tenofovir trials in Cambodia and Cameroon" — September 13, 2005

Press clippings about Tenofovir drug trials

• Media reporting of tenofovir trials in Cambodia and Cameroon
  BMC International Health and Human Rights, August 24, 2005
• More news clippings about the Tenofovir trials — March 2004 - October 2005

Letter: To the members of the Network of Sex Work Projects (PDF: UNAIDS-LONGO.PDF) — From Eamonn Murphy, Associate Director, Governance, Donor and U.N. Relations, Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, January 28, 2005.

"I have just been informed of the tragic passing of Mr Paulo Longo. On behalf of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS I would like to express my deepest condolences ..."

UNAIDS Expresses Sadness At Death Of Human Rights Activist (PDF: UNAIDS-LONGO-041013.PDF) — UNAIDS Press statement, Geneva, October 13, 2004

Defamation Suit?

Sheila Jeffreys makes accusations against Janelle Fawkes and the Scarlet Alliance as well as NSWP veteran, Cheryl Overs. According to Jeffries the Scarlet Alliance is responsible for the slavery of thousands of south-east Asian women in Australia!

• Excerpts from Sheila Jeffreys Keynote Address at the Townsville International Women's Conference, 2002.
• Apology to Cheryl Overs from Jane Mulroney, Director, Australian Domestic and Family Violence Clearinghouse, University of New South Wales, September 3, 2004
• Trafficking in Women versus Prostitution: A false distinction (PDF: JEFFREYS-WINTER.PDF) — By Sheila Jeffreys. Keynote Address, Townsville International Women's Conference,"Poverty, Violence and Women's Rights: Setting a Global Agenda," July 3-7, 2002, James Cook University, Australia

Report on the Activities of the Coordinator in London (August 26 - September 3, 2004) — By Paulo Longo, NSWP Coordinator

Human Rights in Rio — Update from Paulo Longo, April 6, 2004

Network of Sex Work Projects protests human rights violations during brothel raid in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea — Letter from Paulo Longo, March 30, 2004

Expert workgroup meeting for the development of a toolkit for HIV/AIDS prevention and care interventions in sex work settings — Report to WHO from Paulo Longo, Geneva, December 8-9, 2003

Transgendered sex workers deserve dignity and rights — Media release, September 11, 2003

Network of Sex Work Projects calls on G8 to support sex work projects — Media release, May 30, 2003

Recent changes to HIV funding in the US (HR 1298) — Background, May 20, 2003

Letter to the Editor — By NSWP Chair Paulo Longo, May 5, 2003

To The National Review regarding 'Accommodation or Abolition? Solutions to the problem of sexual trafficking and slavery' by Donna Hughes. See also The 100% Condom Use Policy: A sex workers' rights perspective.

Network of Sex Work Projects responds to city murders — Media release, By secretariat, Shane Petzer, January 20, 2003

For press clippings about the Sizzlers massage parlour massacre see World News Clippings 2003 at CSIS.

NSWP report on meeting with UNAIDS — By Chairperson, Paulo Longo, Geneva, January, 2003

Websites About Some of NSWP's Members

Laura María Agustín

Research, Writing and Consultation

Bon Momentos

A memorial album dedicated to Paulo Henrique Longo, coordinator and co-founder of the NSWP

Danny Cockerline (1960 - 1995)

A Tribute

Tracy Quan

Author of Diary of a Manhattan Call Girl