Grantee-Partners Map
In the 10 years since our launch in 2012, Red Umbrella Fund has given 279 grants to 180 organisations in 68 countries. Every year we share our list of grants including the names of the grantee-partner organisations that request to be published on our website. Organisations that wish to stay anonymous do not have their name or country publicly available. Please contact us if you would like to contact any of our former-grantees or discuss their work.
In 2022 Red Umbrella Fund’s PAC awarded €1,300,000 – our first time giving more than a million in a single year – bringing total grants to €7,886,500!
| Organisation Name | Country | Region | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
Africa Sex Worker Alliance
Africa Sex Worker AllianceKenya 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. Learn more
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Kenya | Africa | 2022 |
Alcondoms Cameroun
Alcondoms CamerounCameroon Local, National French This group provides health and HIV services to sex workers of all genders. Alcondoms organises workshops for law enforcement, health care providers and others to promote respect for sex workers’ rights, and to address stigma and violence. The Red Umbrella Fund grant will enable the group to develop advocacy material such as a documentary about the experiences of sex workers in Cameroon. Learn more
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Cameroon | Africa | 2015 |
Alcondoms Cameroun
Alcondoms CamerounCameroon Local, National French Alcondoms was established in 2012 in response to the harmful legal and policy environment for sex workers in Cameroon. This sex worker-led group promotes the human and labour rights of sex workers and works to increase sex workers’ access to HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment, STI and tuberculosis screening, and counselling services. Alcondoms is located in the outskirts of Douala and directly serves the high concentration of sex workers in the area, which are often not reached by other local and national service providers. Learn more
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Cameroon | Africa | 2017 |
Asociación Civil CAMBIO Y ACCION
Asociación Civil CAMBIO Y ACCIONPeru 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. Learn more
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Peru | Latin America | 2021 |
Asociación Civil TS “Rosas Mujeres de Lucha”
Asociación Civil TS “Rosas Mujeres de Lucha”Peru national Spanish Selling sex is legal in Peru but only by following regulations – mandatory health checks, registration and working in a licensed brothel. Street walking is illegal. Most sex workers work illegally. In this context, Asociación Civil TS Rosas Mujeres de Lucha works to defend sex workers’ human rights and aims to use its first grant from Red Umbrella Fund to open a safer space for sex workers to meet without risking violence.
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Peru | Latin America | 2022 |
Asociación de Mujeres Trabajadoras Sexuales: “Unidas en la Esperanza” (UNES)
Asociación de Mujeres Trabajadoras Sexuales: “Unidas en la Esperanza” (UNES)Paraguay National Spanish This group 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. Learn more
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Paraguay | Latin America | 2017 |
Asociacion de Mujeres Trabajadoras Sexuales: “Unidas en la Esperanza” (UNES)
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.
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Paraguay | Latin America | 2022 |
Asociación de Trabajadoras Sexuales Trans de Quito (Aso TST de Quito)
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. Learn more
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Ecuador | Latin America | 2017 |
Asociación de Trabajadoras Sexuales, Miluska, Vida y Dignidad
Asociación de Trabajadoras Sexuales, Miluska, Vida y DignidadPeru National Spanish This sex worker-led group has been working without previous funding for over 15 years for the recognition of sex work as work. Miluska Vida y Dignidad collaborates with a legal advisor to denounce police violence against sex workers and respond to arrests. The group collaborates with other activists in the country and the region to share experiences and conduct joint advocacy for the human rights of sex workers. By setting up a transit house, the group will provide direct support to women sex workers who have experienced violenc Learn more
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Peru | Latin America | 2019 |
Asociación Nacional de Mujeres Buscando Libertad (ASMUBULI)
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. With this grant, the organisation aims to organise a variety of capacity-building workshops sex work laws to sexual and reproductive health and more. Learn more
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Colombia | Latin America | 2022 |
Association for Support of Marginalized Workers STAR-STAR
Association for Support of Marginalized Workers STAR-STARMacedonia 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. Learn more
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Macedonia | Europe | 2022 |
Coalicion de Organizaciones de Trabajadoras y Trabajadores Sexuales de Quito (La Calle en DisPuta)
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). Learn more
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Ecuador | Latin America | 2016 |
Feminist Action Development Ambition (FADA)
Feminist Action Development Ambition (FADA)Rwanda national English Feminist Action Development Ambition (FADA) was founded in 2015 by Sex Workers and Lesbian, Bisexual, Trans and Queer individuals to serve their communities in Rwanda facing discrimination and Human Rights abuses. With this grant from Red Umbrella Fund, the organisation will continue its advocacy and celebrate International Sex Workers’ Day and World AIDS Day among others. Learn more
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Rwanda | Africa | 2022 |
Jagriti Mahila Mahasangha (JMM)
Jagriti Mahila Mahasangha (JMM)Nepal Local, Subnational, National English This network unites 27 community-based organisations of women sex workers in 22 districts of Nepal. JMMS raises awareness among sex workers about HIV and works to end violence against sex workers perpetrated by police, institutions, clients and intimate partners. The network provides legal counselling to sex workers and supports them with filing complaints with the police. At the national level, JMMS engages in CEDAW reporting processes and advocates against laws and policies that discriminate against sex workers and criminalise them.
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Nepal | Asia/Pacific | 2018 |
Jamaica Sex Work Coalition (JSWC)
Jamaica Sex Work Coalition (JSWC)Jamaica National English This group of sex workers works to change laws that criminalise aspects of sex work in Jamaica. SWAJ promotes the rights of sex workers and aims to reduce stigma through outreach to the general public and videos that show the human face of sex work. The group organises workshops with police officers to sensitise them about how to interact with sex workers, especially street workers who are the most vulnerable to police harassment. SWAJ plans to organise a conference where sex workers will share their experiences with law enforcement. Learn more
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Jamaica | North America/Caribbean | 2018 |
Jamaica Sex Work Coalition (JSWC)
Jamaica Sex Work Coalition (JSWC)Jamaica Local, National, International English Jamaica Sex Work Coalition was created in 2007 following several reports from the Ministry of Health highlighting important gaps in service delivery for sex workers. The group advocates at national level for the rights of sex workers of all genders and pushes for legal reforms. The group organises workshops with law enforcement officers and media campaigns to end Jamaican society’s stigma and discrimination towards sex workers. Learn more
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Jamaica | North America/Caribbean | 2020 |
Kenya Sex Workers Alliance (KESWA)
Kenya Sex Workers Alliance (KESWA)Kenya National English This national network unites and represents sex worker-led organisations in all 47 counties of Kenya. KESWA organises media boot camps and builds leadership skills of its members. The network trains sex workers as paralegals and human rights defenders to improve sex workers’ access to justice. KESWA is working towards a strategic litigation case to decriminalize sex work in the country and is developing a security plan to address violence against sex workers. Learn more
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Kenya | Africa | 2019 |
Kenya Sex Workers Alliance (KESWA)
Kenya Sex Workers Alliance (KESWA)Kenya National English This national network of sex workers works with and connects 35 sex worker-led organisations in Kenya to improve their skills and knowledge on topics such as organisational development, fundraising and human rights policy advocacy. KESWA organises campaigns to influence law and policy makers at national level to decriminalise sex work and improve living and working conditions for sex workers and end the high levels of violence against sex workers. Learn more
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Kenya | Africa | 2014 |
Legalife Ukraine
Legalife UkraineUkraine Local, National Russian Formerly known as Legalife Kirovograd Branch, this organisation mobilises sex workers and allies in different parts of the country with the aim to protect and promote sex workers’ health and human rights. Legalife Ukraine works to end gender-based violence, organises self-support groups of sex workers, and provides free legal support to sex workers through a free hotline (phone line). The group works to improve sex workers’ access to sexual and reproductive health services, including HIV prevention, testing and treatment services. Legalife works at local and national levels and is well connected internationally. Learn more
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Ukraine | Europe | 2016 |
Nigeria Sex Workers Association (NSWA)
Nigeria Sex Workers Association (NSWA)Nigeria National English This national network of sex workers in Nigeria provides trainings to build the capacity of its 24 member organisations. This group particularly works on reducing violence from the police by educating sex workers on how to document abuse when they face it and by organising workshops with police officers on respect for human rights. NSWA provides trainings to sex workers to build self-esteem and public-speaking skills so that sex workers can speak out more effectively in national and international forums. Learn more
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Nigeria | Africa | 2018 |
Ohotu Diamond Women Initiative (Ohotu former WOPI)
Ohotu Diamond Women Initiative (Ohotu former WOPI)Nigeria Local, Subnational, National English This sex worker-led organisation in Lagos advocates for the human and labour rights of sex workers of all genders, sexual identities and backgrounds. The group trains sex workers on human rights and builds partnerships with local authorities to prevent and address violence against sex workers. ODWI plans to use the grant to run a media campaign to address stigma against sex workers and set up a crisis centre to respond to human rights abuses and support sex workers who have experienced violence. Learn more
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Nigeria | Africa | 2017 |
Organización de Trabajadoras del Sexo (OTS)
Organización de Trabajadoras del Sexo (OTS)El Salvador Local, National Spanish This national sex worker organisation aims to end the discrimination, abuse and violence experienced daily by sex workers at work, within their families, and in society in general. The group provides peer support and information to women sex workers working on the street and in parks, with particular attention to sex workers living with HIV, young sex workers, mothers, and elderly sex workers. OTS reaches out to media and builds partnerships with feminist organisations and others to more effectively influence policy makers at local and national levels to improve laws and practices to that protect the human rights of sex workers.
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El Salvador | Latin America | 2016 |
Organización de Trabajadoras del Sexo (OTS)
Organización de Trabajadoras del Sexo (OTS)El Salvador Local, National Spanish This national sex worker organisation in El Salvador aims to end the discrimination, abuse and violence experienced daily by sex workers at work, within their families and in society in general. The group provides peer support and information to women sex workers working on the street and in parks, with particular attention to sex workers living with HIV, young sex workers, mothers and elderly sex workers. OTS reaches out to media and builds partnerships with feminist organisations to more effectively influence policymakers, and improve laws and practices in order to protect the human rights of sex workers.
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El Salvador | Latin America | 2018 |
Organización de Trabajadoras Nocturnas Bolivia (OTN-B)
Organización de Trabajadoras Nocturnas Bolivia (OTN-B)Bolivia National Spanish With over 17,000 members across the nine departments of Bolivia, this sex worker-led organisation works to end stigma and discrimination against sex workers. Created in 2000, this group unites diverse sex workers of all genders and sexual orientations and includes indigenous sex workers. With this grant, OTN-B will set up a telephone hotline to support sex workers facing violence. The group will organise departmental and national convenings of sex workers to strengthen community engagement and build advocacy capacity in support of a new law to regulate sex work in Bolivia.
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Bolivia | Latin America | 2019 |
Parapli Rouz
Parapli RouzMauritius National English This group of sex workers is active in Port Louis, Mauritius. The group unites sex workers of diverse ethnic background and includes those living with HIV and those that use drugs. Parapli Rouz conducts outreach with sex workers on HIV prevention, and mobilises them to challenge stigma and police violence. Learn more
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Mauritius | Africa | 2015 |
Parapli Rouz
Parapli RouzMauritius local, national English Parapli Rouz builds sex workers? knowledge and skills on human rights and advocacy with the aim to have sex work recognised as work in Mauritius. The organisation also provides legal support to sex workers to protect their right to carry condoms and to be able to maintain custody of their children; and offers peer education and HIV testing among sex workers across the island with their outreach caravan. Learn more
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Mauritius | Africa | 2022 |
Petubuhan Advokasi Masayrakat Terpinggir (PAMT)
Petubuhan Advokasi Masayrakat Terpinggir (PAMT)Malaysia Local, Subnational, National English Established in 2011, this organisation supports sex workers’ access to health care through peer education, condom distribution and referrals to health and social services. The group supports sex workers in setting up their own support groups, and aims to improve the living and working conditions of sex workers in the country. With the Red Umbrella Fund grant, PAMT will set up a crisis response team to support sex workers who face violence, exploitation, and arrest.
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Malaysia | Asia/Pacific | 2013 |
Plataforma Latinoamericana de Personas que Ejercen Trabajo Sexual (PLAPERTS)
Plataforma Latinoamericana de Personas que Ejercen Trabajo Sexual (PLAPERTS)Regional Network - Ecuador Based Subnational, National, International Spanish This regional network, created in 2013 and based in Ecuador, unites 28 member organisations of sex workers of all genders in seven countries of Latin America. PLAPERTS offers trainings to its members to develop strategies and conduct political advocacy for the recognition of the labour and other human rights of sex workers. PLAPERTS reinforces local leadership and shares tools among its members to denounce the violations of sex workers’ rights in the challenging context of rising conservatism and violence in Latin America. Learn more
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Regional Network - Ecuador Based | Latin America | 2018 |
Plataforma Latinoamericana de Personas que Ejercen Trabajo Sexual (PLAPERTS)
Plataforma Latinoamericana de Personas que Ejercen Trabajo Sexual (PLAPERTS)Regional Network - Ecuador Based Local, Subnational, National, International Spanish Sex work is criminalised in most Latin American countries and some countries implement restrictive legal systems. As a regional network, PLAPERTS unites sex worker-led organisations working with sex workers of all genders in 11 Latin American countries. Formed in Peru in 2013, the regional network is now based in Ecuador. The network is a space to share information and provides capacity building to its members as well as advocates for the fulfilment of sex workers’ human rights. With this grant, the network will implement a virtual training on social protection and carry out campaigns demystifying sex work and promoting the recognition of sex work as work in the Latin American context. Learn more
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Regional Network - Ecuador Based | Latin America | 2020 |
Plataforma Latinoamericana de Personas que Ejercen Trabajo Sexual (PLAPERTS)
Plataforma Latinoamericana de Personas que Ejercen Trabajo Sexual (PLAPERTS)Regional Network - Ecuador based local, national, international Spanish Sex work is criminalised in most Latin American countries and some countries implement restrictive legal systems. As a regional network, PLAPERTS unites sex worker-led organisations working with sex workers of all genders in 13 Latin American countries. Formed in Peru in 2013, the regional network is now based in Ecuador. The network is a space to share information and provides capacity building to its members as well as advocates for the fulfilment of sex workers? human rights. With this third grant from Red Umbrella Fund, the network will develop its monitoring and evaluation plan, organise virtual workshops, carry out advocacy activities and publications and cover some of its core costs. Learn more
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Regional Network - Ecuador based | Latin America | 2022 |
Pow Wow
Pow WowZimbabwe Local, National English This local group of sex workers of all genders was created in 2014. It is a founding member of the national network of sex workers in the country and a member of the regional network, the African Sex Workers Alliance. Pow Wow led the successful effort to outlaw solicitation arrests of female sex workers and aims to expand the ruling to apply to all genders. The group conducts peer outreach and holds themed bi-weekly dialogues with sex workers to foster solidarity among the diverse sex workers that it brings together. Learn more
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Zimbabwe | Africa | 2019 |
Public Association Shah-Aiym
Public Association Shah-AiymRegional Network - Kyrgyzstan Based National, International Russian This network unites sex workers from across Kyrgyzstan and increasingly also from neighbouring countries to build peer support structures and amplify the voices of sex workers in public and policy debates. Shah-Aiym documents rights violations and builds capacity of sex workers on leadership, advocacy and safety and security. In Kyrgyzstan, Shah-Aiym aims to protect existing legislation that decriminalises sex work while speaking out against police violence against sex workers.
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Regional Network - Kyrgyzstan Based | Europe | 2016 |
Public Association Shah-Aiym
Public Association Shah-AiymRegional Network - Kyrgyzstan Based National, International Russian This network unites sex workers from across Kyrgyzstan and neighbouring countries (mainly Tajikistan and Russia) to build peer support structures and amplify the voices of sex workers in public and policy debates. Shah-Aiym documents rights violations and builds the capacity of sex workers on leadership, advocacy, safety and security. In Kyrgyzstan, Shah-Aiym aims to protect existing legislation that decriminalises sex work while speaking out against police violence against sex workers. In Tajikistan, Shah Aiym builds the capacity of sex workers to enable the creation of an independent national organisation.
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Regional Network - Kyrgyzstan Based | Europe | 2018 |
Public Association Shah-Aiym
Public Association Shah-AiymKyrgyzstan Subnational, National Russian This emerging network aims to strengthen the voice of sex workers in public and policy debates in Kyrgyzstan by uniting sex workers from across the country. The network documents and speaks out against police violence. It also works to ensure that the existing law – which decriminalises sex work – is not undermined by new policies and programmes which are aimed at ending sex trafficking, which often have a negative effect on the rights of sex workers.
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Kyrgyzstan | Europe | 2013 |
Red Umbrella Sexual Health and Human Rights Association (Red Umbrella Turkey – Kimizi Semsiye)
Red Umbrella Sexual Health and Human Rights Association (Red Umbrella Turkey – Kimizi Semsiye)Turkey Local, National English This organisation works locally and nationally to improve the human rights and wellbeing of sex workers in Turkey. Red Umbrella Sexual Health and Human Rights Association supports access to sexual health and prevention services for sex workers of all genders and increases visibility and awareness of human rights violations they experience. Red Umbrella monitors and documents violence against sex workers, collaborates with bar associations to train lawyers and provides legal services to sex workers. The group builds alliances with community groups, NGOs, service providers, the United Nations, academia and media to strengthen its lobby towards key decision makers to improve laws and practices that affect sex workers. Learn more
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Turkey | Europe | 2016 |
Red Umbrella Sexual Health and Human Rights Association (Red Umbrella Turkey – Kimizi Semsiye)
Red Umbrella Sexual Health and Human Rights Association (Red Umbrella Turkey – Kimizi Semsiye)Turkey Local, National English This group documents violence and other human rights violations against sex workers and provides legal assistance to sex workers of all genders. The group collects data that is used for its public awareness raising activities targeting civil society, media and academia and for lobbying with government officials to improve the legislation that affects sex workers in Turkey. Learn more
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Turkey | Europe | 2014 |
Red Umbrella Sexual Health and Human Rights Association (Red Umbrella Turkey – Kimizi Semsiye)
Red Umbrella Sexual Health and Human Rights Association (Red Umbrella Turkey – Kimizi Semsiye)Turkey Local, National English This group in Ankara documents violence and other human rights violations against sex workers and provides legal assistance to sex workers of all genders to seek justice. The data that is collected by the group is also used in public awareness raising activities targeting civil society, media and academia and in its lobbying with government officials to improve the legislation that affects sex workers in Turkey. The group also provides training for sex workers on human rights. Learn more
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Turkey | Europe | 2013 |
Sangharsha Mahila Samuha (SMS)
Sangharsha Mahila Samuha (SMS)Nepal Local, Subnational English This women-led sex worker organisation in Bhaktapur District in the east of the Kathmandu Valley was set up in 2010 to promote the health and human rights of sex workers. The group works together with other organisations to improve access for sex workers to health services including HIV and STI treatment and safe abortion services. SMS will take action during the international 16 days of activism against gender based violence campaign to address violence against sex workers.
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Nepal | Asia/Pacific | 2019 |
SCOT-PEP
SCOT-PEPUnited Kingdom National English Founded in 1989, this is the oldest organisation that is led by sex workers in Scotland. It campaigns for sex work to be recognised both socially and legally as work, and for sex workers’ voices to be included in public debates. SCOT-PEP lobbies the Scottish parliament for the decriminalisation of sex work and against the ‘Safer Lives, Changed Lives’ policy strategy which aims to eradicate violence against women and defines sex work as exploitation, irrespective of the opinion of the women involved. Learn more
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United Kingdom | Europe | 2013 |
Sex Workers Network Bangladesh (SWNOB)
Sex Workers Network Bangladesh (SWNOB)Bangladesh Local, Subnational, National English This national network unites 29 member organisations representing sex workers of all genders and different localities in Bangladesh. The group aims to strengthen its member organisations by building their leadership capacities. SWNOB works with community leaders and the media to raise awareness about the human rights of sex workers, and takes action against brothel evictions and violence from law enforcement institutions. SWNOB advocates at the national level for the inclusion of sex workers in the country’s social security strategy Learn more
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Bangladesh | Asia/Pacific | 2018 |