Amnesty International issued a statement on 17th May condemning a campaign by Greek authorities to identify sex workers with HIV following a law making testing compulsory for sex workers.
Amnesty joins the organisations condemning the actions by the Greek authorities, including UNAIDS as well as NSWP & GNP+, as reported on this website. You can still sign the petition to the Greek Prime Minister here.
The Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee is a collective of 65000 female, male and transgender sex workers in West Bengal, India. Their most recent Bulletin (No 14.) includes news about the May Day rally in Kolkata where over 2000 sex workers and their children marched for the right to be recognised as workers.
As reported back in April Ann Jordan's Issue Paper from Rightswork.org examines the impact of the Swedish Penal Code from 1999. She concludes:
'Not surprisingly, the experiment has failed. In the thirteen years since the law was enacted, the Swedish government has been unable to prove that the law has reduced the number of sex buyers or sellers or stopped trafficking. All it has to show for its efforts are a (contested) public support for the law and more danger for street-based sex workers. Despite this failure, the government has chosen to ignore the evidence and proclaim the law to be a success; it also continues to advocate that other countries should adopt a similar law.'
This resource has now also been translated into French (available here) and Spanish (available here).
With thanks to David Boudon for volunteering to provide this translation into French.
NSWP learned today of the tragic news of the death of Abel Shinana, Director of African Sex Workers Alliance (ASWA) Namibia.
We send our heartfelt condolences to colleagues, friends and family. A great friend, colleague and superb emerging sex work leader has been lost.
Following on from our story the illegal raid on WONETHA's offices hundreds of sex workers at popular pubs in Gulu Town are on the run, following the arrest of dozens of their colleagues. The northern regional police spokesperson, Mr Johnson Kilama, said they apprehended dozens of sex workers and committed them to court.
On the 7th of May 2012, the WONETHA Drop-In Centre in Gulu, Uganda was raided by police and computers and other items taken away. WONETHA’s staff at the Drop In centre were also arrested and detained.
The arrested outreach workers and 3 other member were taken to court and charged with ‘living on the earnings of prostitution’.
Read the full story on ASWA’s website.
On Monday 14th May hundreds of sex workers marched in Satara, India to protest against the violent attack on Anu Mokal, a pregnant sex worker in Satara, who was beaten up by police inspector Dayanand Dhome on April 2, along with her friend Ms. Anjana Ghadge. Three days later, on 5th April, she suffered a miscarriage.
You can now sign the petition online here to support their demands.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Antiviral Drugs Advisory Committee, has recommended Truvada for approval for prescription as HIV prevention for those most at risk of infection.
Sex workers will march in Satara, India on Monday the 14th of May to protest against the violent attack on Anu Mokal, a pregnant sex worker in Satara, who was beaten up by police inspector Dayanand Dhome on April 2, along with her friend Ms. Anjana Ghadge. Three days later, on 5th April, she suffered a miscarriage.
A study published in the American Journal of Public Health highlights the ‘role of safer indoor sex work environments as venues for public health and violence prevention’ and indicates the importance of removing legal barriers to supportive housing programmes.
As reported in the Vancouver Sun indoor sex workers benefit from safer working environments, less exposure to violence and reduced exposure to HIV.
Raids on flats in London and increased activity by the Metropolitan Police in targeting street-based sex workers have forced women to work underground, begin working outdoors and to move away from areas they know well. All of which has put them at greater risk of violence and driven them further away from the support services they use and trust, reports the Independent today.
In a statement released today the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) expressed its concern over recent actions by Greek authorities involving the arrest, detention, mandatory HIV testing, publication of photographs and personal details, and pressing of criminal charges against at least 12 sex workers.
The full statement on the UNAIDS website can be read here.
Sex workers in Zambia have been in the spotlight this week as both religious leaders and a non-governmental organisation weighed in to the debate on how the police deal with sex work in the country.
Robert Carr, international human rights and HIV/AIDS activist, died a year ago today in Toronto.
Robert was a tireless campaigner for the health and human rights of people living with HIV and men who have sex with men, people who use drugs, sex workers, of all genders and transgender people. He fought to secure the right of access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support for the most marginalised communities.
Robert remains an inspiration to us and is very sorely missed.
In a deplorable move, Athens police have published photographs of 12 sex workers who have tested HIV positive in the last few days, with more disgraceful abuses being promised in the future.
You can sign the petition to the Greek Prime Minister to stop the forced testing and outing of HIV+ sex workers here. (Read it in English, Spanish & French)
Geetha, the leader of the Karnataka Sex Workers Union sadly died on 30th April 2012.
"I don't want sympathy, We just want human rights, equal rights, Like other human being and we want labour rights" - Geetha 2009.