Grantee-Partners Map

Alcondoms Cameroun

Cameroon

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.

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.

Anonymous

ANON

Anonymous

ANON

Ashraya

India

Local, Subnational

English

This community-based organisation in the Indian state of Karnataka was created in 2007 to address the specific needs of sex workers living with HIV. Ashraya provides a safe space for sex workers living with HIV to connect, access health and social services, and benefit from alternative income generating activities and other economic empowerment services. The group works with sex workers of all genders. Ashraya amplifies the voices of sex workers living with HIV in decision-making spaces and campaigns for legal reforms in India to improve the human rights of sex workers living with HIV.

Asociación de Mujeres Liquidámbar

El Salvador

Local

Spanish

In a country where violence against women sex workers is particularly high, this sex worker-led group devotes much of its time to activities for its community related to self-care, healing and overcoming experiences of violence. Liquidambar organises training opportunities for sex workers on human rights and builds lobbying skills. At a national level, the group works collectively with other sex workers’ groups in El Salvador to promote the human rights of sex workers.

Asociación de Mujeres Trabajadoras Sexuales Girasoles Nicaragua

Nicaragua

Local, Subnational, National

Spanish

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.

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.

Association for Support of Marginalized Workers STAR-STAR

Macedonia

Local, Subnational, National

English

This self-led organisation promotes the human rights of sex workers and develops programmes that address their diverse needs in Macedonia. STAR-STAR mobilises sex workers from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds who are working in different sectors of the sex industry, ranging from brothels to border highways. The group organises advocacy trainings for sex workers, monitors political parties’ views on sex work, and works to influence relevant laws, policies and practices. STAR-STAR is expanding its network with two additional branches, Star-East and Star-West, to better reach sex workers across the country.

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.

HIV/AIDS Research and Welfare Centre (HARC)

Bangladesh

Local, National

English

This sex worker-led group promotes sex workers’ safety, health, and human rights by mobilising the community and organising capacity-building opportunities for sex workers. HARC provides referrals to HIV and sexual and reproductive health services. The group also challenges laws and policies that are harmful to sex workers. Building on the knowledge and experience gained through the group’s previous Red Umbrella Fund grant, HARC plans to use this grant to build the capacity of five local sex worker groups in five major cities of Bangladesh to address human rights violations and promote respect for sex workers.

Indonesian Sex Workers’ Organization / Organisasi Perubahan Sosial Indonesia (OPSI)

Indonesia

Local, National

English

With a presence in 19 provinces in Indonesia, this sex worker-led network provides HIV and other health services to sex workers through drop-in centres, outreach, and referrals. OPSI builds partnerships with government, service providers and HIV organisations to improve sex workers’ access to HIV and STI prevention, treatment and care services. With this grant, OPSI plans to study the impact on sex workers of brothel closures in six major Indonesian cities, and the connection between human rights violations and HIV/STI vulnerability. OPSI will use the results of this research in its advocacy work.

Men Against Aids Youth Group (MAAYGO)

Kenya

Local

English

Created 2008, this sex worker-led organisation in Kisumu, a port city on Lake Victoria, advocates for the rights of communities with multiple stigmatised identities (e.g., sex worker, LGBTQI+, and/or living with HIV). MAAYGO’s mission is to provide men sex workers and men having sex with men, especially those living with HIV, with access to quality health services. The group runs a safe space where young LGBTQI+ can meet, exchange experiences, access free condoms, receive HIV counselling and simply be themselves.

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.

Organización Nacional de Activistas por la Emancipacion de la Mujer (ONAEM)

Bolivia

Subnational, National

Spanish

This national sex worker-led group builds the sex workers’ movement in Bolivia by providing capacity building opportunities for its members. ONAEM builds alliances with the related movements, including the feminist and LGBTQI+ movements in the country, to more effectively promote sex workers’ rights. By educating public health service providers about sex work and human rights, ONAEM contributes to improving the quality of services and reducing the level of stigma and discrimination experienced by sex workers. ONAEM coordinates its work at the regional level through the regional sex workers network RedTraSex.

Parapli Rouz

Mauritius

National

English

This community-led group advocates for the recognition of sex work as work in Mauritius. At the local level, the group works to strengthen the capacity of sex workers through educational workshops on health, economic development, human rights rights and advocacy skills. Nationally, Parapli Rouz organises regular community gatherings, bringing together sex workers from different regions of the country to share experiences and strengthen cooperation. The group plans to use the grant to expand its emergency support to sex workers by setting up a phone hotline.

Pilot Mathambo Centre for Men’s Health

Botswana

Subnational

English

This group of men sex workers works to improve sex workers’ access to adequate health care services, especially with regard to HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment, management of other sexually transmitted infections, and psychosocial support. PMCMH regularly contributes to research among sex workers and advocates for decriminalizing sex work decriminalisation nationally level. The group provides workshops for men sex workers to enhance their safer sex negotiation and financial management skills and increase their safety and security.

Red de Mujeres Trabajadoras Sexuales de América Latina y El Caribe (REDTRASEX)

Regional Network - Argentina Based

International

Spanish

This 20-year-old regional network of sex worker-led groups in Latin America and the Spanish-speaking Caribbean has members in 14 countries and reaches 17,000 sex workers. Its mission is to support national sex workers’ organisations in their fight towards recognition of sex workers’ rights. RedTraSex organises trainings of its members on political advocacy, participates in national and international advocacy spaces, runs media campaigns, and produces and disseminates evidence-based material to promote sex workers’ rights.

Sex Worker Advocacy and Resistance Movement (SWARM)

United Kingdom

National

English

This workers’ cooperative aims to strengthen the sex workers’ rights movement through organising community workshops and festivals, networking and collaboration. SWARM advocates for full decriminalisation of sex work through lobbying parliamentarians, amplifying sex workers’ voices in public debates, and speaking out in media. The cooperative actively campaigns against the recent rise in arrests, unlimited detention, and deportation of migrant sex workers in the UK who are being specifically targeted since the Brexit vote.

Sex Workers Advisory Network of Sudbury (SWANS)

Canada

Local

English

This group, located in northeastern Ontario, provides frontline services and community building to women sex workers (cis and trans), many of whom are Indigenous people, in an area removed from major city centres. Mainstream service providers in rural areas have limited awareness of sex workers’ realities and needs, and SWANS fills this gap. SWANS’ core activity is a drop-in centre in Sudbury, which offers capacity building opportunities to sex workers through a peer education model on legal, health, economic, and personal issues, while also offering direct psychosocial support and health services.

Strumphet Alliance Network

Fiji

Local, National

English

This peer-led community network of women sex workers in Fiji advocates with the national government for the human rights of sex workers. The group raises human rights awareness among local authorities and promotes respect among sex workers. Created in 2014, this grant will enable the group to strengthen its organisation and build internal capacity in areas of leadership and management. Strumphet Alliance Network aims to increase the visibility of the organisation and its messages through developing educational materials.

Suriname Coalition of Sex Workers (SUCOS)

Suriname

National

English

This sex worker-led group was created to promote the human rights of sex workers by pursuing decriminalisation of sex work and combating stigma in all its forms. With the Red Umbrella Fund grant, SUCOS will launch a two-year media campaign to illustrate sex workers’ stories and put sex workers’ demands forward. The group reaches out to law enforcement agencies, community and religious leaders to educate them about sex workers’ rights. SUCOS unites diverse sex workers including transgender people, migrants, and people living with HIV in Suriname.

TAMPEP – European Network for the Promotion of Rights and Health among Migrant Sex Workers

Regional Network - Finland Based

International

English

TAMPEP is a migrant sex worker-led European network that focuses exclusively on advocacy and networking for the promotion of social inclusion, economic empowerment, health access, and legal rights and safety of migrant and mobile sex workers. It collects and maintains updated information on the political and legal situation on sex work in European countries, supports national and European advocacy efforts through the production and dissemination of position papers and amplifies the voices of migrant sex workers by mobilising network members and ensuring their presence in key EU-level advocacy spaces.

The Red Edition – Migrant Sex Work Group

Austria

Local

English

Created in 2015, this is the first sex worker-led organisation in Austria. Red Edition welcomes sex workers of all genders, identities and ethnic backgrounds and has a specific focus on migrant sex workers. The group promotes the full decriminalisation of sex work and the recognition of sex work as work. This grant supports Red Edition to expand its outreach work, strengthen its organisational and financial capacities and to develop a strategic plan.