In 2015, Amnesty International, the world’s leading human rights organisation, voted to approve its draft policy calling for decriminalisation of sex work. The policy which was published in 2016 is rooted in “respecting, protecting and fulfilling the human rights of sex workers” and “preventing and redressing human rights violations”.
It is comprehensive, carefully considered and based on concrete evidence from around the world, including from the ECP. It spells out the harm caused by criminalisation, specifically the ways in which it puts sex workers at greater risk of violence, including police violence; denies sex workers access to justice and police protection; and encourages discrimination in the provision of housing, health and immigration status.
Crucially it puts obligations on states to provide resources in the form of “state benefits, education and training and/or alternative employment” to help sex workers leave prostitution if they want
Over half of UK adults believe sex workers should be able to work in safe conditions, free from criminalisation — according to new data shared exclusively with Cosmopolitan UK By Brit Dawson Mina Karenina, Hookers Against Hardship Thanks to the rise of internet porn and, more recently, OnlyFans, conversations about sex work are now more […]
Exclusive: ‘Criminalisation and gender stereotypes are the main drivers of stigma against sex workers,’ says Amnesty International Gender Justice DirectorMaya Oppenheim Women’s Correspondent More women think sex work should be stigmatised than men, according to new YouGov polling, while most Britons say they would not be friends with someone who appears in pornography.Research shared exclusively with The Independent found around one […]
Sex workers say they see police ‘as a threat rather than a shield’Maya OppenheimWomen’s CorrespondentIreland’s decision to criminalise prostitution is “facilitating” harassment of sex workers and violent attacks against them, a scathing new report has found.Research carried out by Amnesty International warned legislation implemented in 2017 was driving sex workers to put their lives at risk in a desperate bid […]
The ‘pimp lobby’ slur thrown at those who argue for full decriminalization discredits the sex work labour movement. Frankie Mullin reports on the Amnesty UK Annual General Meeting. Frankie Mullin is a freelance journalist covering social issues with a special interest in the politics of sex work. “The English Collection of Pimps.” That was the slur […]
LettersLast week Amnesty International launched its global policy on sex work alongside new research which documents the severe human rights abuses suffered by sex workers (Amnesty in global programme to decriminalise sex work, theguardian.com, 26 May). Amnesty’s call on states to repeal laws that criminalise “the consensual exchange of sexual services between adults for remuneration” […]
The English Collective of Prostitutes welcomes Amnesty International’s new policy on sex work which calls on states to repeal laws that criminalise “the consensual exchange of sexual services between adults for remuneration” and provide resources so that those of us who want to leave prostitution can do so. Amnesty International’s press release is here. Spokeswoman, […]
Please join the Twitter campaign today in support of Amnesty International’s policy “to protect the human rights of sex workers, through measures that include the decriminalisation of sex work”. Counter the Social Media Campaign @NoAmnesty4Women which deliberately misrepresents Amnesty International’s policy. The Amnesty policy is “based on evidence and the real-life experience of sex workers […]
The English Collective of Prostitutes and the US PROStitutes Collective welcome Amnesty International’s vote to approve their draft policy calling for decriminalisation of sex work. The decriminalisation policy is rooted in “respecting, protecting and fulfilling the human rights of sex workers” and “preventing and redressing human rights violations”. It is comprehensive, carefully considered and based on concrete […]
An open letter in support of Amnesty International’s recent proposals to decriminalise sex work. Global Network of Sex Work Projects This open statement of support has been reprinted with permission from nswp.org. To support this initiative, sign NSWP’s petition at change.org.The Global Network of Sex Work Projects (NSWP) would like to take this opportunity to […]