Who do you work with?:
Female* sex workers, also their partners or family, sometimes managers and clients. For male* sex workers, there are other organizations in Berlin.
How are sex workers involved in your organisation?:
The Hydra e.V. organization mainly consists of present and former sex workers. Sex workers and non-sex workers are employed at the counselling center.
Which of NSWP priority areas does your organisation work on?:
Oppose the criminalisation and other legal oppression of sex work and support its recognition as work
Critique the trafficking paradigm that conflates representations of sex work, migration, and mobility
Advocate for universal access to health services, including primary health care, HIV and sexual and reproductive health services
Speak out about violence against sex workers, including violence from police, institutions, clients, and intimate partners, while challenging the myth that sex work is inherently gender-based violence
Oppose human rights abuses, including coercive programming, mandatory testing, raids and forced rehabilitation
Challenge stigma and discrimination against sex workers, their families and partners, and others involved in sex work
Advocate for the economic empowerment and social inclusion of sex workers as sex workers
What are the two main challenges that the sex workers you work with face:
Stigmatisation, housing, health insurance, getting access to job center support.
Describe other areas of your work:
Peer-to-peer-workshops in brothels, entrance counselling, counselling for sex workers who want to leave sex work, psychological support, support with job center, administrative, and social security issues, (sexual) health counselling, tax and legal counselling, outreach work, networking on political and administrative level, public relations, lobbying.
