Amnesty International

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

25th January 2022

Independent: Ireland’s prostitution laws ‘facilitating’ violent attacks against sex workers, Amnesty says

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 […]

11th April 2017

In Full Sight: ‘The pimp lobby’ at the Amnesty AGM

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 […]

30th May 2016

The Guardian: Letter supporting Amnesty International

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” […]

20th May 2016

Press Release: Amnesty International fighting for sex workers rights

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, […]

23rd October 2015

Action Alert: Twitter campaign in support of Amnesty International

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 […]

11th August 2015

Statement: Victory! Amnesty International votes for decriminalisation

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 […]