Grantee-Partners Map

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.

Anonymous

ANON

Anonymous

ANON

Anonymous

ANON

English

Asociación de Mujeres Liquidámbar

El Salvador

Local

English

Asociación de Mujeres Liquidámbar organises training opportunities for sex workers on human rights and builds the advocacy skills of sex workers on advocacy with the aim to respond to the high levels of violence faced by women sex workers in El Salvador. The group also works collaboratively with other sex worker-led groups in the country to promote the human rights of sex workers nationally.

Asociación de Trabajadoras Sexuales Sarita Colonia

Peru

Local

Spanish

Sarita Colonia is an organisation for and by cisgender and trans women sex workers operating in Iquitos, a remote city of the Amazon in Peru. Thanks to its location, the group involves indigenous sex workers and organises workshops, talks, trainings and advocacy activities to promote the human rights and sexual and reproductive rights of sex workers.

Asociación Los Caprichos de Goover

Ecuador

Local, Subnational

Spanish

Founded in 2004, Asociación Los Caprichos de Goover sex worker-led group in Quito, Ecuador, unites diverse male sex workers by providing a space where they can come together and ensuring the representation of male sex workers in the sex workers’ rights movement. With this grant, the group will organise a training on sex workers’ rights bringing together sex workers of all genders and decision-makers.

Associação Mulheres Guerreiras

Brazil

Local

English

Formed in 2005, Associação Mulheres Guerreiras aims to promote sex workers’ human rights through addressing stigma and discrimination and advocating for law reform. Based in Campinas, the organisation provides legal support and healthcare training locally and supports national advocacy efforts. The group welcomes all sex workers and has a membership of mainly black and trans sex workers.

Association for Support of Marginalized Workers STAR-STAR

Macedonia

Local, Subnational, National

English

This sex worker-led organisation was the first sex workers’ collective in the Balkans and was legally registered in 2010. The group includes sex workers from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds to promote the human rights of all sex workers and address the diverse needs of sex workers. The group organises advocacy trainings for sex workers, monitors political parties’ views on sex work, and works to influence relevant laws, policies and practices.

Bar Hostess Empowerment & Support Programme (BHESP)

Kenya

Local

English

BHESP was created in 1998 and runs 3 clinics in Nairobi providing health and legal services to Kenyan women sex workers. In 2020, the organisation had reached more than 20,000 individuals. To reach its aim of providing quality services to sex workers, BHESP works with over 180 sex worker peer educators. BHESP was instrumental in the creation of the Kenya Sex Workers Alliance.

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.

Caribbean Sex Work Coalition (CSWC)

Regional Network - Guyana Based

National, International

English

Created in 2008, Caribbean Sex Work Coalition brings together its sex worker-led member organisations from 6 countries across the Caribbean. The network implements two strategies: advocacy for the promotion of sex workers’ rights and capacity building of its members at national and local levels. With this grant, the networks will organise a training for sex workers from the region to increase their skills on sex worker-led service delivery.

Centro de Apoyo a las Identidades Trans A. C.

Mexico

Local

Spanish

This self-led group of trans sex workers was legally constituted in 2011 to advocate for trans sex workers’ rights. To do so, the organisation firmly believes in the meaningful involvement of sex workers and aims to increase trans sex workers’ ‘social capital’ through peer-to-peer learning in the metropolitan area of Mexico City.

Coletivo Rebu – Minas Gerais

Brazil

Local

Spanish

Created in 2015, Colectivo Rebu’s mission is to combat violence, strengthen new leadership, and defend the rights of women sex workers (including transvestites and trans sex workers) in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Besides advocating at local and state level for the rights of sex workers, the organisation organises conversation circles with sex workers, distributes condoms and lubricants, and gives information regarding health prevention and sexual and reproductive rights to sex workers.

Community-based organization G3VN

Vietnam

Local

English

G3VN works in the Southern provinces of Vietnam to empower transgender women sex workers and advocates for their access to friendly and gender-sensitive services. The group conducts research, trainings for healthcare providers and community mobilisation activities and supports the trans and intersex community in the Ho Chi Minh City region through outreach.

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)

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)

Goreto Nepal

Nepal

Local

English

In a context where buying sex is criminalised, this sex worker-led organisation working in the Pokhara valley of Nepal aims to end stigma and discrimination faced by women sex workers and their children through community mobilisation, advocacy activities and alliance building.

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

Indonesia

Local, National

English

This national network with members in 20 provinces of Indonesia works to uphold sex workers’ human rights. OPSI increases sex workers’ awareness of their human rights through trainings and advocates for better laws and the meaningful involvement of sex workers in processes and decisions that affect them.

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.

Nigeria Sex Workers Association (NSWA)

Nigeria

National

English

Nigeria Sex Workers Association advocates for sex workers’ rights through awareness raising, capacity strengthening, organisational development and advocacy. As a national sex worker network, the organisation unites 35 sex worker-led groups working with sex workers of all genders in all the 36 states of Nigeria.

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.

Right Side Human Rights Defender NGO

Armenia

National

English

This sex worker-led group founded in 2016 works to ensure the well-being, protection and equality of sex workers and trans people in Armenia. To do so, the group cooperates with national and international actors to work on socio-cultural and legal change.

Sex Workers’ Rights Advocacy Network (SWAN)

Regional Network - Hungary Based

International

English

This network unites sex worker-led organisations and their allies in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The network works to create societies where sex work is decriminalised and empowered sex workers can live free from violence, stigma and discrimination. SWAN provides capacity building to sex worker-led groups to advocate for their rights, support community mobilisation efforts and provides a space for its members to share resources and experiences.

Street Youth Rise Up (SYRU)

United States

Local

English

This organisation aims to change the ways in which institutions see and treat homelessness in Chicago, United States of America. Working primarily with young, homeless, street-based sex workers, this sex worker-led group conducts peer-to-peer outreach and leadership development programmes locally.

Syndicat du Travail Sexuel (STRASS)

France

Local, National

English

This sex worker-led union advocates for the interests of sex workers from all sectors of the industry. The group carries out advocacy, legal and capacity building activities to fight against violence and exploitation in sex work in France.

UMANDE

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Local

French

Created in 2010, UMANDE works through solidarity committees gathering information from different provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo and organises capacity building and advocacy activities. With this grant, UMANDE will organise trainings on financial skills for sex workers, support sex workers living with HIV in continuing their treatment and develop materials to increase sex worker visibility.

WOMEN AGAINST ALL FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION (WAAD)

Zimbabwe

National

English

Formed in 2015, this organisation promotes sex workers’ rights as human rights and organises support groups for sex workers to share and be supported. The organisation works with a particular focus on women sex workers from marginalised communities and women who engage in transactional sex but do not see themselves as sex workers.