Grantee-Partners Map

Advocacy Normalizing Sex Work through Education and Resources (ANSWERS)

Canada

Local

English

ANSWERS envisions a community of sex workers that is fully integrated, accepted, and safe so that they can enjoy equal opportunities within Canadian society. To achieve their mission, ANSWERS supports sex workers and their rights through outreach, education, and support services while working to end violence and stigma towards sex workers.

Africa Sex Worker Alliance

Kenya

international

English

This sex worker-led African regional network was created in 2009 and is based in Nairobi, Kenya. The Africa Sex Worker Alliance (ASWA) has sex worker-led organisations as members in 35 African countries. The network amplifies the voices of their sex worker members and advocates for the health and human rights of the diverse community of sex workers working and living in Africa. ASWA intends to use its grant to continue its advocacy in the region and continue to strengthen itself as a network.

African Sex Worker Alliance (ASWA)

Regional Network - Kenya Based

International

English

Created in 2009, this regional network unites 75 sex worker groups from 28 countries and aims to expand its membership to include all countries in Africa. It provides strategic advice, networking opportunities, capacity-building tools and financial support to local groups that work to improve sex workers’ access to health services and labour rights. Its membership includes sex workers of all genders. ASWA represents sex workers’ interest in regional and international processes and platforms.

African Sex Worker Alliance (ASWA)

Regional Network - Kenya Based

International

English

Created in 2009, this regional network based in Kenya unites 100 sex worker groups from 33 countries in Africa and aims to expand its membership to include all countries of the continent. ASWA provides strategic advice, networking opportunities, capacity-building tools and financial support to local groups that work to improve sex workers’ access to health services and labour rights. Its membership includes sex workers of all genders. ASWA represents the interests of sex workers in regional and international debates and platforms.

African Sex Worker Alliance (ASWA)

Regional Network - Kenya Based

International

English

This sex worker-led African regional network was created in 2009 and is based in Nairobi, Kenya. The Africa Sex Worker Alliance (ASWA) has more than 70 sex worker-led organisations as members in 33 African countries. The network amplifies the voices of their sex worker members and advocates for the health and human rights of the diverse community of sex workers working and living in Africa. ASWA intends to use its grant to create a capacity scan to be used in modelling future trainings for sex worker-led organisations in 5 African countries.

African Sex Worker Alliance (ASWA)

Regional Network - Kenya Based

International

English

This regional network unites sex worker groups from 11 countries and seeks to expand its membership to include all countries on the African continent. It provides strategic advice, networking opportunities, capacity-building tools and financial support to local sex workers’ groups that work to improve their access to health services and labour rights. Its membership includes groups working with women, men and trans sex workers. ASWA represents sex workers’ interest in regional and international processes and platforms.

Alianza Por El Trabajo Sexual

El Salvador

local

Spanish

Alianza por el trabajo sexual defines its role in El Salvador as “working actively in the action for the defense of the rights of women sex workers, through the unification of the sector.” With this first grant from Red Umbrella Fund, the organisation aims to organise a variety of events, trainings, meetings and campaigns in line with this work. In the country, sex work is technically legal but municipal authorities create administrative offences making sex work more isolated and dangerous.

AMMAR Asociación de Mujeres Meretrices de la República Argentina

Argentina

national

Spanish

AMMAR’s mission is to defend the human, social and labour rights of sex workers in Argentina. With a national reach of around 10,000 sex workers, the organisation is present in 14 provinces of the country through 18 branches in different locations all of which are run by sex workers. With this third grant from Red Umbrella Fund, the organisation aims to provide food, medication, legal services and to implement workshops and visibility activities during the women’s march and cover some of its core costs.

AMMAR Córdoba (Associación de Mujeres Meretrices de Argentina delegación Córdoba)

Argentina

Local, Subnational

Spanish

This provincial level network of female and transgender sex workers combines community services tailored to the needs of sex workers (like a nursery, literacy courses, litigation) with political activism. They are a driving force behind a nation-wide campaign for the regulation of sex work in Argentina. Their sex worker friendly clinic provides comprehensive health services including condom distribution and HIV testing.

AMMAR Córdoba (Associación de Mujeres Meretrices de Argentina delegación Córdoba)

Argentina

Local, Subnational

Spanish

This group of women sex workers functions as a labour union for sex workers in the province of Cordoba in Argentina. AMMAR Córdoba advocates for the labour rights of all sex workers by networking and lobbying with local authorities and other government departments. The group combines political activism with providing tailored services to different groups of sex workers ranging from social support and sex worker friendly health services to economic empowerment or artistic expression workshops. The group engages with academia and recently published a book on sex work in Argentina.

AMMAR Córdoba (Associación de Mujeres Meretrices de Argentina delegación Córdoba)

Argentina

Local

Spanish

Led by women sex workers, this is a network in the province of Córdoba that combines community services for sex workers – like offering daycare, literacy courses, and health services – with political activism, such as advocating for the protection of sex workers’ labour rights and for the legal recognition of sex work as work.

And Soppeku (AS)

Senegal

Local, National

French

And Soppeku (meaning “together for a change in behaviour”) is a ten-year-old sex worker organisation that aims to improve sex workers’ knowledge of their rights and achieve legal reform in Senegal to ensure that sex work is respected as work. And Soppeku provides leadership training for sex workers and engages in advocacy with parliamentarians and other politicians. The group is comprised of women sex workers who live and work in the suburbs of Dakar and in the regions of Thies, Kaolack and Sédhiou.

Asociación Civil CAMBIO Y ACCION

Peru

Local, Subnational, National

Spanish

Working mainly with men sex workers, Asociación Civil Cambio y Accion aims to eradicate violence, stigma and discrimination and achieve the recognition of sex work as work. Amongst others, the organisation will use its grant from Red Umbrella Fund to mark International Sex Workers’ Days and to strengthen itself.

Asociación de Mujeres ‘Las Golondrinas’

Nicaragua

Local

Spanish

Founded in 2004, this organisation works with 12 local groups of female and trans sex workers in different municipalities in central and northern Nicaragua. The group uses mass media to promote labour rights of sex workers and address stigma and discrimination. The Red Umbrella Fund grant will contribute to core costs of the organisation and enable it to conduct trainings on sexual health and human rights for sex workers, and launch a campaign to end violence against sex workers.

Asociación de Mujeres Meretrices de la República Argentina (AMMAR)

Argentina

National

Spanish

This network advocates at national level and through its provincial branches for the human rights of sex workers in Argentina. With nearly 25 years of experience, the network has a strong presence in the sex work community and relatively high visibility among the general public. AMMAR was a founding member of RedTraSex, the Latin American and Caribbean Female Sex Workers Network. With this grant the network will hold an international convening of sex worker-led labour unions.

Asociación de Mujeres Meretrices de la República Argentina (AMMAR) (AMMAR)

Argentina

Subnational, National

Spanish

This national network advocates at the national level for the regulation of sex work in Argentina and through its provincial branches across the country. It has been active for more that 20 years and is recognised as a strong, political and influential organization that campaigns with high reach among the community and general society. AMMAR is a founding member of Redtrasex, the Latin American and Caribbean Female Sex Workers Network.

Asociacion de Mujeres Trabajadoras Sexuales 21 de Septiembre (ASOTRASEX)

Dominican Republic

National

Spanish

OTRASEX first originated in 2012 and had its first Board of Directors in 2016. The organisation fights for the respect of sex workers’ human and labour rights in the Dominican Republic. With this grant, the organisation aims to train and support young activists, strengthen its organisation and organise discussions on trade unions and labour rights.

Asociacion de Mujeres Trabajadoras Sexuales: “Unidas en la Esperanza” (UNES)

Paraguay

national

Spanish

Asociacion de Mujeres Trabajadoras Sexuales: “Unidas en la Esperanza” (UNES) promotes public policies and practices that protect women sex workers and that improve their working and living conditions. UNES aims to eradicate all forms of discrimination, stigma, and violence against sex workers. The group carries out sensitisation campaigns in coordination with other sex worker groups in Latin America. UNES organises regular meetings with municipal authorities, health service providers, and local police to promote the wellbeing and rights of sex workers in Paraguay where sex work is not recognised as work.

Asociación de Trabajadoras Sexuales Trans de Quito (Aso TST de Quito)

Ecuador

Local, Subnational

Spanish

This group was formed by and works for trans street sex workers in Quito, the capital city. The group aims to improve the working conditions on the streets for trans sex workers who are vulnerable to harassment and violence. Aso TST Quito organises frequent meetings with local police, mediates in conflicts, conducts regular outreach work on the streets, and provides health services and various other forms of support to trans sex workers. The group cooperates with other sex worker organisations in Latin America to promote the decriminalisation of sex work through the sex worker network Plaperts.

Asociación Nacional de Mujeres Buscando Libertad (ASMUBULI)

Colombia

Local, National

Spanish

ASUMBULI unites women sex workers in Colombia in their struggle against injustice, inequality and discrimination. The group defends and promotes sex workers’ human rights and aims to create choices and tools which allow sex workers to achieve a better quality of life, and to empower women sex workers in the country. ASMUBULI builds capacity of sex workers in advocacy, governance, democracy, gender, and human rights and supports projects that improves sex workers’ access to health, education, housing, and legal services. The group strategically builds partnerships and conducts national level advocacy, and is building a national sex worker union. At the international level, ASMUBULI works with the regional sex worker network RedTraSex.

Asociación Nacional de Mujeres Buscando Libertad (ASMUBULI)

Colombia

Local, National

Spanish

ASMUBULI unites women sex workers in Colombia in their struggle against injustice, inequality and discrimination, and actively contributes to the building of a national sex worker union. The group defends and promotes sex workers’ human rights and aims to create choices and tools that allow sex workers to achieve a better quality of life. ASMUBULI builds the capacity of sex workers in advocacy, governance, democracy, gender and human rights, and implements projects that improve sex workers’ access to health, education, housing and legal services. The group strategically builds partnerships to conduct more effective advocacy at the national level.

Association Biowa

Benin

Local

French

This is a new organisation which aims to mobilise and educate women sex workers in urban and rural areas of Benin, using peer learning and outreach to other sex workers as a key strategy. The organisation advocates for improved access to health care and for the decriminalisation of sex work.

Association for Support of Marginalized Workers STAR-STAR

Macedonia

local, national, international

English

Sex workers in North Macedonia are facing numerous of social and legal problems, which make the community a vulnerable population, susceptive to various human rights violations and drive sex workers to the margins of society. In this context, STAR-STAR Skopje widely known as STAR-The First Sex Workers Collective in the Balkans is a sex workers? community-led collective mobilizing the sex workers to advocate for law reform in partnership with relevant stakeholders to ultimately secure the respect of sex workers? human rights and freedoms.

Berufsverband Erotische und sexuelle Dienstleistungen e.V (BesD)

Germany

National

English

Berufsverband Erotische und sexuelle Dienstleistungen e.V (BesD) is a group that unites sex workers from all backgrounds and regions of Germany. The group engages in the public debate around fair and dignified working conditions in sex work. Operating as a professional union, BesD not only amplifies the voices of sex workers in media and with policymakers, but also fights for improved access to information, training and greater solidarity among the sex worker community.

Berufsverband Erotische und sexuelle Dienstleistungen e.V (BesD)

Germany

Local, National

English

This group unites sex workers from all backgrounds and regions of Germany to engage in the public debate around fair and dignified working conditions in the sex industry. Operating as a professional union, BesD amplifies the voices of sex workers in media, public debates and conversations with policymakers. The group provides information to sex workers and works to build greater solidarity among sex worker communities. In response to a recent law on mandatory registration for sex workers, the group is supporting migrant sex workers in Germany who are most affected by the change.

Berufsverband Erotische und sexuelle Dienstleistungen e.V (BesD)

Germany

National

English

This group unites sex workers from all backgrounds and regions of Germany to organise and engage in the public debate around fair and dignified working conditions in sex work. Operating as a professional union, BesD not only amplifies the voices of sex workers in media, public debates and conversations with policymakers, but also fights for improved access to information, training and greater solidarity among the sex worker community.

Best Practices Policy Project (BPPP)

United States

Local, Subnational, National

English

Best Practices Policy Project (BPPP) is an advocacy organisation led by sex workers and dedicated to supporting sex workers’ rights across the United States. BPPP produces materials for use in policy advocacy, addresses research and academic questions, provides organisations and advocates with technical assistance and engages in rights-based campaigns for sex worker’s rights.

Best Practices Policy Project (BPPP)

United States

National, International

English

This advocacy organisation is led by sex workers and dedicated to supporting sex workers’ rights across the United States. BPPP produces materials for policy spaces, addresses research and academic questions, provides organizations and advocates with technical assistance and engages in rights-based campaigns.

Butterfly Asian and Migrant Sex Workers Support Network

Canada

Local, National, International

English

This sex worker-led organisation formed in 2014 as a support network for Asian and migrant sex workers in several cities of Canada. Through legal support, interpretation services and advocacy activities, the organisation fights for sex workers’ entitlement to respect, dignity, equality, basic human rights and justice, regardless of their gender, race and immigration status.

Butterfly Asian and Migrant Sex Workers Support Network

Canada

Local, National, International

English

This sex worker-led organisation based in Toronto provides support to and advocates for the rights of Asian and other migrant sex workers in several cities in Canada. Butterfly builds leadership skills and capacities of migrant sex workers through a peer-to-peer programme. Its members visit migrant sex workers in detention centres, prisons and court. The group provides legal support and interpretation services, assists with arranging bail and supports deported workers. Butterfly advocates for changes in anti-trafficking policy and immigration laws to make them less harmful for migrant sex workers.

Coalicion de Organizaciones de Trabajadoras y Trabajadores Sexuales de Quito (La Calle en DisPuta)

Ecuador

Local, National, International

Spanish

Known also as La Calle en DisPuta, this new strategic coalition joins together four sex worker organisations that have existed for many years in Quito. The coalition unites sex workers of all genders and gives visibility to sex workers’ struggles against police violence and for the protection of their human rights. The coalition advocates for the labour rights of sex workers and local and national level and aims to create a labour union for sex workers. At regional level, La Calle en DisPuta is connected to the Plataforma Latinoamericana de Personas que Ejercen Trabajo Sexual (PLAPERTS).

Colectivo de Prostitutas de Sevilla (CPS)

Spain

Local

Spanish

This self-led group of sex workers was created in 2017 to challenge the restrictive municipal law on sex work in the province of Seville. CPS gives presentations at universities and organises parties and demonstrations to raise awareness among the general public about the realities and needs of sex workers. With this grant, CPS is bringing together sex workers’ rights activists from across the country to foster solidarity and peer support and develop joint strategies to improve the human rights of sex workers in Spain.

Community United for Safety and Protection (CUSP)

United States

Local, National

English

Based in Alaska, this group of sex workers, people who have experienced trafficking and allies works to promote the safety and protection of all people involved in the sex industry in the US. The members include people from diverse genders, ethnicities and backgrounds. CUSP provides a place of safety and protection for sex workers where they can find support and get information about their rights. The group challenges harmful trafficking laws and aims for decriminalisation of sex work through direct lobbying, media outreach and legal action.

Davida

Brazil

Local

English

This organisation focuses on HIV/AIDS prevention and improving the legal status and labour conditions of sex workers in the country. A draft bill to decriminalise and regulate sex work has been named in honour of the founder of the organisation, the late Gabriela Leite. In 2005, Davida launched the fashion line Daspu, which serves as an income-generating activity and also an advocacy strategy. Davida’s magazine, Beiji da Rua, reaches thousands of sex workers, allies and decision makers around the country.

Desiree Alliance

United States

Local, National

English

This network of sex worker organisations, communities and individuals across the US organises regular national conference for sex workers . These conferences provide unique opportunities for sex workers and allies to come together to share, learn and strategise for more effective advocacy for sex workers’ rights. Desiree Alliance engages in national and international advocacy by promoting the leadership of sex workers in combating HIV and in United Nations Universal Periodic Review processes.

Desiree Alliance

United States

National, International

English

This network brings together organisations and individuals from diverse sex worker communities across the US to strengthen their advocacy for the human rights of sex workers. Desiree Alliance supports the development of local and regional sex worker leadership in the country, so that sex workers themselves can advocate for their human, labour and civil rights. The network organises national conferences, providing space and opportunity for sex workers and allies to share, learn and strategise together for more effective sex workers’ rights advocacy.

EMPOWER Chiang Mai

Thailand

Local, National, International

English

The sex worker organisation Empower Chiang Mai builds leadership capacity among Thai and migrant sex workers and advocates for safe and healthy work conditions. Created in 1985, the group is well connected nationally and internationally and known for its creative activism. Empower runs a museum called “This is Us” aimed at educating the public and has produced books and films. The group facilitates exchanges between sex workers in the region and campaigns for the decriminalisation of sex work.

EMPOWER Chiang Mai

Thailand

Local, National, International

English

The sex worker-led organisation Empower Chiang Mai working with women sex workers and particularly migrant women sex workers, advocates for safe working conditions. Created in 1985, the group is well connected nationally and internationally and is known for its creative activism. The group also runs a museum to educate the public on sex workers’ rights.

European Sex Workers Rights Alliance (ESWA, former ICRSE)

Regional Network - Netherlands based

international

English

The European Sex Workers Rights Alliance (ESWA)’s membership comprises more than 100 organisations spread across the WHO Europe region. With their actions and approach inspired by their membership, ESWA works to build a strong, vibrant and sustainable network that mobilises national, regional and international advocacy activity that moves us towards long-term, systemic change.

European Sex Workers Rights Alliance (ESWA)

Regional Network - Belgium Based

National, International

English

This sex worker-led network has a membership of 105 organisations across 35 countries of Europe and Central Asia. At national level, ESWA 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.

Note: Prior to 2020 ESWA was known as International Committee on the Rights of Sex Workers in Europe (ICRSE)