In Charleston, West Virginia, a sex worker killed a man in self-defense, later to discover that he may have been a serial killer.
The 45-year-old man, named Neal Falls, arranged to meet the woman, identified only as Heather, through Backpage.com. When he arrived at the woman's home, he was armed with a gun and allegedly asked ‘Live or die?’ when she opened the door then began choking her.
News Archive: July 2015
Posted 31 July 2015 by NSWP
In an effort to network, build solidarity, increase understanding and contribute towards greater tolerance between the Singaporean sex worker and Muslim communities, Project X, Singapore’s sex worker advocacy network, invited a prominent Muslim speaker, Mr. Mohamed Imran, to a weekly sex worker discussion group, Kopi Session.
Posted 30 July 2015 by NSWP
NSWP has mobilised in support of Amnesty International following the recent backlash against Amnesty International’s Resolution and draft policy calling for the decriminalisation of sex work, which is tabled for adoption at their International Council Meeting, 6-11th August 2015.
The Amnesty International resolution ‘REQUESTS the International Board adopt a policy that seeks attainment of the highest possible protection of the human rights of sex workers, through measures that include the decriminalisation of sex work’.
Posted 29 July 2015 by NSWP
In mid-July, a 20 year-old transgender sex worker was shot dead in Georgetown, Guyana, apparently following an altercation with a client, which, some reports say, may have been a case of mistaken identity.
Posted 27 July 2015 by NSWP
Australian sex workers in the state of Victoria have formalised the program for the 2015 Festival of Sex Work.
Posted 22 July 2015 by NSWP
Posted 20 July 2015 by NSWP
Australian sex worker network and NSWP member Scarlet Alliance published their report: ‘Stepping up to the evidence on HIV and Sex Work: Decriminalise Sex Work Now! Sex Workers at AIDS 2014’ last week. This much anticipated report demonstrates the strong sex worker presence at the 20th International AIDS Conference - AIDS 2014 in Melbourne, July 2014.
Posted 20 July 2015 by NSWP
The online classified web site Backpage.com, long used by sex workers as a low-cost means of advertising their services and screening clients, has announced that it is allowing users to post ads for free to the adult services section of its site.
Posted 13 July 2015 by NSWP
In April 2015, the Open Society Foundations convened a meeting of experts and advocates concerned about the future of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, particularly in the areas of preserving support to important programs in middle-income countries.
Posted 8 July 2015 by NSWP
The Red Umbrella Fund gives grants to sex worker-led groups and networks that are registered or unregistered. In 2015, we expect to make about 12 core funding grants to local and national sex worker-led organisations and networks. The Red Umbrella Fund is the first global fund guided by and for sex workers. Sex workers themselves are the best positioned to know what is needed for them, and best placed to do something about it. The Red Umbrella Fund aims to mobilise resources to help strengthen and sustain the movement in achieving human rights for sex workers.
Posted 7 July 2015 by NSWP
We recently wrote about how sex workers are often encouraged to take part in economic empowerment programmes when we published the briefing paper titled: ‘Economic Empowerment: Does Rehabilitation Have a Role?’
Posted 6 July 2015 by NSWP
Last week, in the Parisian neighbourhood of Belleville, 40 migrant Chinese sex workers participated in a rally organised by STRASS and Steel Roses denouncing the increase in police harassment.
Posted 3 July 2015 by NSWP
In the aftermath of Canada’s new “end demand” style policy on sex work, migrant sex workers (including those with legal status) are being swept up in crackdowns and police sweeps, which they say are endangering them.
Posted 3 July 2015 by NSWP
On Tuesday the 30th of June, MasterCard announced that its credit cards can no longer be used to pay for ads on the Backpage.com website, following a request from Chicago’s Cook County Sheriff Thomas Dart, who claimed the site is used by sex traffickers. The following day Visa announced that it, too, would no longer allow its credit cards to be used to make transactions through the website.
Posted 3 July 2015 by NSWP
Thirty-five mayors from across the United States, including Bill de Blasio in New York City, Rahm Emanuel in Chicago and Eric Garcetti in Los Angeles, have lent their support to a growing campaign for an “end demand” style of law enforcement to be used against the clients of sex workers.
Posted 3 July 2015 by NSWP
Across the Central and Eastern European region, several workshops have been held within the last month, focusing on STI prevention, human rights and sex worker activism, and highlighting the need for sex worker involvement in programmes and projects established on their behalf.
Posted 3 July 2015 by NSWP
Sex workers in Canada held a national day of action across the country on Saturday, the 13th of June. The third annual Red Umbrella March was especially significant this year, following the introduction of new sex work legislation late last year.
Posted 3 July 2015 by NSWP
At the end of last month, SWOP Houston formed, describing themselves as “a non-profit resource for community-building, organizing, and sharing support … run by and for sex workers”. To celebrate their launch, SWOP Houston held a kick-off brunch on the 2nd of June, which all current and former sex workers in the area were invited to attend.
Posted 3 July 2015 by NSWP