News Archive: June 2011

Sex Offender Registration for Sex Workers Ends in Louisiana

Louisiana's era of forcing certain convicted sex workers to register as sex offenders appears to be over. Governor Jindell's office signed a bill into law that moves ‘prostitution’ back to a level of misdemeanour. 

29 June 2011

New research from The African Sex Worker Alliance, Bar Hostess, Sisonke and SWEAT

The African Sex Worker Alliance (ASWA), Bar Hostess, Sisonke and SWEAT in conjunction with the Ford Foundation, OXFAM NOVIB, UNDP and OXFAM GB have launched new research on human rights violations against sex workers .

Over the past year the African Sex Worker Alliance (ASWA) has conducted two major pieces of research: "'I expect to be abused and I have fear': Sex workers’ experiences of human rights violations and barriers to accessing healthcare in four African countries" and "An Exploratory Study of the Social Contexts, Practices and Risks of Men Who Sell Sex in Southern and Eastern Africa."

28 June 2011

Sex workers want larger role in AIDS control programmes says Indian Network of Sex Workers

This story was originally featured in the Times of India on the 16 June 2011.

    PUNE: Sex workers want to be included in the planning and development of health programmes and initiatives that address their risks and vulnerabilities.

    Forty women from Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Goa and Maharashtra participated in the two-day western regional meet held in the city to discuss and plan the fourth phase of the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP IV). The meet concluded on Tuesday.

    "We no longer want to be seen as recipients, but as designers and managers of health programmes," Sunita from Gujarat said.

    27 June 2011

    Sweet Talkin,’ Street Walkin,’ Burlesque Cabaret Benefited St. James Infirmary

    This news story appeared in the San Francisco Bay Times on the 26 May 2011.

    27 June 2011

    The Kenya Sex Worker’s Alliance (KESWA) launch report on human rights abuses

    This story featured on the Freedom in Speech website on the 18 June 2011.

    The Kenya Sex Worker’s Alliance (KESWA) launched an elaborate report documenting human rights violations experienced by male and female sex workers and barriers they face in accessing health services in Kenya.

    27 June 2011

    Turn Off the Blue Light protest at discrimination by Google

    This story appeared on the Turn Off the Blue Light website on the 27 May 2011.

    Turn Off the Blue Light (TOBL) is a small sex worker led association campaigning for the health, safety, human, civil and labour rights of Irish sex workers.

    Unlike the main organisation in Ireland calling for further criminalisation of the sex industry, we don’t enjoy generous government funding that enables us to advertise widely, so we looked to Google AdWords as a form of advertising we could use.

    Our Google AdWords advert read ‘Turn Off The Blue Light, Sex workers in Ireland need human rights, not legal wrongs’ and linked to our website, turnoffthebluelight.ie. It ran for several weeks, but was abruptly stopped by Google on May 24th.

    27 June 2011

    Elena Jeffreys of Scarlet Alliance explains why feminists should listen to sex workers

    This is an edited version of a talk given by Elena Jeffreys, national president of Scarlet Alliance, at the Feminist Futures conference in Melbourne, Australia 28-29 May 2011 on the panel Why Feminism Matters. It was published in The Scavenger.

    14 June 2011

    Maggies, POWER and the Ontario Court of Appeal

    This news story by Jessica Smith appeared in the Metro Ottawa on June 13 2011 under the headline 'Group Defends Prostitutes' Call for Decriminalization'.

     

    A group that represents prostitutes in the capital region is bringing the views of those sex workers to the Ontario Court of Appeal this week. Today, the federal and provincial governments will begin their appeal of a judge’s ruling that struck down laws criminalizing operating or working in a brothel, communicating for the purpose of prostitution and living off the avails of prostitution.

    Last year Superior Court Judge Susan Himel ruled the criminal code provisions unconstitutional because they endanger sex workers.

    14 June 2011

    John Mathenge of the Kenyan Sex Workers Alliance speaks up in New York

    Marchers in New York called on donors at the UN High Level Meeting on AIDS to keep their promises and finance the HIV response.

    13 June 2011

    New Initiative on Sex Work in Botswana

    A new sex workers initiative in Botswana has included a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Questioning (LGBTIQ) component in their programme. Read more...

    13 June 2011

    Sex trade persistent

    By Samantha Rina, Monday, June 06, 2011, Fiji Times online 

    CRIMINALISING sex work is a waste of time and money, says an advocate for sex workers rights. 

    Survival Advocacy Network project co-ordinator Rani Ravudi made the comment at a dialogue with stakeholders to mark International Sex Workers Day last Friday. She said sex work was the oldest profession globally and was not going to stop or disappear regardless of laws passed to make it illegal.

    "Therefore it is a waste of police and court time and money making it a crime. By making sex work illegal, the State is creating an environment where sex workers are beaten, verbally abused, and sexually abused with no support or help," she said. 

    6 June 2011

    Demystifying Sex Work and Sex Workers

    Wagadu, an open access online feminist journal, has released a special issue 'Demystifying sex work and sex workers.' With articles from activist scholars the special issue focuses on the everyday lives of sex workers.  Read more on the PLRI website.

    1 June 2011