The Red Umbrella Fund is the first global fund guided by and for sex workers. We believe that change will only be achieved through strong, collaborative movements of sex workers advocating for their rights, with the support of their allies. 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 exists to mobilise resources to help strengthen and sustain the movement in achieving human rights for sex workers.

“It’s helpful having sex workers making funding decisions because we understand which projects or groups will really be effective towards positive change. Bottom line, it’s our bodies, our lives, and we should be at the forefront of all decisions affecting us”  (member of the Red Umbrella Fund’s Programme Advisory Committee)

Since its creation in 2012, the Red Umbrella Fund has made 129 grants to sex worker-led organisations and networks in over 50 countries. All our grantees are selected by our international Programme Advisory Committee (PAC) which is led by sex workers.

Learn more about how to apply for a grant here.

 

Highlights

8Jun

STAR: From the Las Vegas of Macedonia to a pop up red light window

Sex work is a topic that receives ‘bad press’ and is often misunderstood. However, we commonly find written articles that use pictures of high heels, red light districts or the eroticised female body to make their own articles against sex work more ‘sexy’. Some sex workers fight back against the current double morality discourses. This... Read more »
1Jun

Come Join the PAC

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS The Red Umbrella Fund is looking for 6 activists to join the Programme Advisory Committee (PAC)! The PAC is the international sex worker-led peer group that reads the applications received by the Red Umbrella Fund and selects which new grants to make. Application form here. What do PAC members do? PAC members... Read more »
18May

Sex Workers are Feminists Too

“Today I want to talk about sex workers.” This was not your regular presentation opening at a meeting with funders. But then, it was not your regular meeting. From 11 to 13 April 2018, a unique encounter of very diverse activists and funders took place in Kenya to talk – and dream – about feminist... Read more »

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