Funders, Networks, & Allies

Resources from Funders and Allied Organisations Supporting Sex Workers’ RightsWe have organised the growing community of organisations supporting sex worker rights and provided brief introductions to strengthen the support available to the sex worker rights movement.
We have categorised them (funders, sex worker-led networks, and allied organisation) as well as created tags for key topics that intersect with our work.

Ariadne (European Funders for Social Change and Human Rights) is a European peer-to-peer network of more than 600 funders and philanthropists who support social change and human rights. Ariadne helps those using private resources for public good achieve more together than they can alone by linking them to other funders and providing practical tools of support.

DemandAT is an interdisciplinary project addressing the challenge of understanding demand for trafficking in human beings and analysing the policy and practical measures that can influence this demand. The project feeds into recent efforts of European countries to find ways to reduce demand for the products and services provided by trafficked persons within their own economies and societies as a means of tackling trafficking. The project investigates multiple forms of trafficking and forced labour to assess the impact and potential of demand-side measures to reduce trafficking. The DemandAT project brings together a multidisciplinary team of experts across seven European countries from 1 January 2014 to 30 June 2017.

Dreilinden supports people whos sexual orientation, gender identity and expression and sex characteristics do not conform with social norms as well as women and girls. Dreilinden shares their vision of a life free from gender-based discrimination and violence – a life that makes sense for them in their diverse social contexts by means of grants to existing organizations and project grants, as well as by social investments, and networking.

Edge Fund is a grantmaking body with a difference: we support efforts to achieve social, economic and environmental justice, and to end imbalances of wealth and power. Edge believes that if we are to create a world free of injustice and inequality we need to completely change the way our societies are organised. We are passionate believers in ‘participatory grantmaking’, where the funder and the funded work together to decide where the money goes.

European Sex Workers’ Rights Alliance (ESWA) was formerly known as International Committee on the Rights of Sex Workers in Europe (ICRSE). This sex worker-led network has a membership of 105 organisations across 35 countries of Europe and Central Asia. At national level, ICRSE supports sex workers’ self organisation though trainings, development of activities or strategic plan as well as submission to governmental consultations. At European level, ICRSE coordinates advocacy and campaigns and has been very active in building alliances with key European civil society networks across movements, and especially with migrants and LGBTI+ organisations.

Foundation for a Just Society (FJS) “advances the rights of women, girls, and LGBTQI people and promotes gender and racial justice by ensuring those most affected by injustice have the resources they need to cultivate the leadership and solutions that transform our world.” Learn more about what they fund on their website.

Global Fund for Women offers “flexible feminist funding and support to fuel collective action and create meaningful change that will last beyond our lifetimes.Over the course of 30+ years, Global Fund for Women has supported feminist movements and grassroots organizers to end civil wars, get female Presidents elected, and secure laws giving new protection to millions. Today, building on historic wins and the latest research, we are doubling down on supporting movements. By shifting towards a movement-led approach, Global Fund for Women will harness and fuel rising people-power globally to increase their impact and accelerate change.” Information about their grantmaking is available on their website.

Hivos is a humanist organization that strives for a free, fair and sustainable world. Hivos seeks new and creative solutions to persistent global problems; solutions created by people taking their lives into their own hands. Hivos has a global office in the Hague, The Netherlands and provides support to civil society organisations working in Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and Asia.

Protect Defenders is the European Union Human Rights Defenders mechanism. The consortium of 12 NGOs “Operates a permanent and rapid response mechanism to provide urgent assistance and practical support to Human Rights Defenders in danger, their families, and their work. Manages a programme of temporary relocation for Human Rights Defenders at risk to relocate inside their country, within their region, or abroad in case of an urgent threat. Supports the creation of shelters for HRDs at risk and coordinates an exchange platform for stakeholders working on temporary relocation for Human Rights Defenders, the EU temporary relocation platform. Provides training, financial support, accompaniment, and capacity-building to Human Rights Defenders and local organisations. Monitors the situation of human rights defenders, including in the field, and advocates for a protection agenda for Human Rights Defenders at local, regional, and international level. Promotes coordination between organisations dedicated to support for Human Rights Defenders, EU institutions and other relevant actors.”

Red de Mujeres Trabajadoras Sexuales de América Latina y El Caribe (REDTRASEX) [The Network of Women Sex Workers of Latin America and the Caribbean] was born in 1997. RedTraSex is made up of organizations of women sex workers and/or former sex workers. The network is made up of organizations from 14 countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Dominican Republic and Mexico). Their communication language is Spanish.

Urgent Action Fund (UAF) provides Rapid Response Grantmaking and is part of a global consortium of Urgent Action Funds.Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights is a feminist fund that protects, strengthens and sustains women and transgender human rights defenders at critical moments.

WO=MEN is the number one platform that strives for worldwide gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. We monitor policy, share knowledge, join forces and connect and mobilise people. We work on social transformation in order to achieve equal power relations between women and men, girls and boys, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity. Unequal power relations between people – such as those based on sex, race, class, disability or age (intersectionality) – must never lead to unequal treatment.

“The Women’s Peace & Humanitarian Fund is an innovative partnership empowering local women to be a force for crisis response and lasting peace.
We galvanize support from across the globe to support the efforts of women working on the frontlines of the world’s most intractable conflicts. From Jordan to Burundi, the Solomon Islands to Colombia, we aim to amplify the voices of women and support their vital work to prevent conflict, respond to crises, and accelerate peace in their communities.””

They provide funding including urgent or rapid response funding to sex workers’ rights projects and related civil society groups in specific contexts of conflict and crisis worldwide.”