ESWA

This International Women’s Day, organisations across multiple movements stand together in a call for legal systems that support people instead of punishing survival.

Watch the video where sex workers share what they wish the world knew on ESWA YouTube: youtu.be/FOp1q9x2qRw

Forward this invitation and say hi to us in the live chat on March 3rd. Let's celebrate International Sex Workers' Rights Day together ☂️✊❤️

Join us March 3rd, 3 p.m. CET for the premiere of ESWA's newest community video, where sx workers share what they wish the world knew about us, our work, and our communities.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOp1...

www.eswalliance.org/newsletter26

Exciting opportunity for sex workers to build skills and gain experience in communications in the context of NGO work!

ESWA is looking for a consultant to support our communications team with the creation and distribution of the ESWA Monthly newsletter.

www.eswalliance.org/executive25

📣 ESWA is still looking for our new Executive Director - deadline extended until Jan 9th 2026!

☂️ We strongly encourage migrant, racialised, women, trans, and otherwise marginalised sx workers to apply.

Research Report: Sex Workers' Experiences as Victims of Crime

Please help us by sharing the research, as well as this post. Donate to a sx workers' led organisation if you can. Take care of yourselves and each other.

www.eswalliance.org/victims_report

This is how we end violence against sx workers. By nurturing the care that is already there, so it can grow and flourish until everyone is supported and protected.

We need strong and well funded community care structures.

Sx workers have always taken care of each other when no one else did. We do so while struggling ourselves. We share the little resources we have.

We need a transformative justice framework, built with understanding of existing violence and oppression. Only such approach can address the problems without perpetuating them.

We need to decriminalise sx work, recognise it as a legitimate form of labour, and remove all laws that make sx workers targets.

December 17th is the International Day to End Violence Againts Sx Workers.

But how can we achieve this goal when the very people trusted with protecting us ignore our calls for help, take the side of the perpetrators, or assault us themselves?

The research is conducted by Yiğit Aydınalp @yigitindenial.bsky.social in collaboration with the University of Sheffield and University of Leeds.

Please share widely!

ESWA is looking for sex workers living and working in Belgium, France or both to take part in a research!
If you'd like to participate fill out this short survey and we'll get back to you:
shef.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

Let’s keep up the momentum built by the powerful projections on the European Parliament. Read & share the Call to Action: hivpreventionalliance.eu/wp-content/u...

📢 As MEP Marc Angel said:

"𝙒𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙨𝙤 𝙘𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙃𝙄𝙑, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙚𝙛𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠"

☂️ Sx workers' have been long recognised as one of the key populations whose meaningful involvement is essential in enging HIV. Combating stigma & discrimination are a vital part of this work, as is protecting #HumanRights and ensuring #GenderEquality

⚠️Failing to end the transmissions will lead to 80,000 extra HIV infections in Europe over the next 5 years. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱.

📉 Since 2010, HIV infections in Europe have deacreased by only 30% - comparing to the UNAIDS target of 90% by 2030.

🚨 #EU commited to zero HIV transmissions by 2030 - a goal we are NOT on track to reach! As a part of HIV Prevention Alliance, ESWA demands that the European Parliament takes action.

Read & share call to action here: hivpreventionalliance.eu/wp-content/u...

Our message is simple: A Gender Equality Strategy that excludes sex workers cannot claim to promote equality.
We will continue to push for an EU strategy that protects everyone’s rights, safety, and bodily autonomy without stigma and without discrimination.

The report calls for destigmatisation of sex workers, yet consistently uses the term “pr*stitution” instead of “sex work.” This language is outdated, harmful, and directly contradicts any effort to combat stereotypes or promote dignity.

The report calls for decriminalisation, but simultaneously proposes criminalising measures like client-criminalisation. Decriminalisation is impossible when punitive laws push sex workers into unsafe working conditions excluded from society and legal security.

All sex workers deserve access to these services — regardless of their decision to continue or leave sex work. Only providing support to those who wish to exit is not in line with the report’s stated commitment to equality.

The report highlights the need for accessible and quality exiting services but fails to mention existing barriers for sex workers to other crucial support such as healthcare, social services, and victim assistance.

While the report urges member states to include sex workers in the development of policies that affect their lives, sex workers were once again not consulted. Failing to include the key groups discussed leads to contradictory policy, which is clear throughout the report:

Last week, the European Parliament voted on a report that will guide the next EU Gender Equality Strategy.