What’s love got to do with it?

Date: 30/11/2021

Hosts

ENRO, HERA, and Sensoa

Summary

Sex workers have been on IPPF’s list of priority service users for a long time. IPPF MAs have played a role in some of the positive changes in their status that we have seen in some parts of the world during recent years. And yet, the global picture remains one in which people doing sex work face appalling levels of stigma, discrimination and violence, from the general public, state institutions, and other organizations. There is a long way to go before we can say sex workers have the same access to SRR as anyone else.

This roundtable provides a golden opportunity for our Federation to hear directly from sex workers’ organisations about how we can be of stronger support in our next strategic period. Where are the gaps in our service provision? What challenges and opportunities are coming our way? How can we be the best possible allies at the frontline of sex workers’ struggle for their human rights?

Date

30th November 2021

Time

09h00 Willemstad; 10h00 Buenos Aires; 13h00 London; 14h00 Brussels/Paris/Skopje; 16h00 Nairobi; 20h00 Bangkok time

Registration

https://weareinnovision.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_BJ8byWJtTuelImfAD86VJg

Languages

Interpretation will be available in Arabic French, English and Spanish

Moderator

Luca Stevenson (pronouns he/him/his) is a male sex worker and Operations Officer of the European Sex Workers’ Rights Alliance, a network of more than 100 organisations working with or led by sex workers in Europe and Central Asia. He leads a multi-disciplinary team which advocates for the rights of sex workers in diverse policy fields such as health, migration, digital rights and anti-trafficking. Luca has worked extensively across Europe with sex workers from various backgrounds including migrant and LGBT sex workers. He is also currently responsible de Mission for ‘Jasmine’, a project of Medecins du Monde France which aims to address and reduce violence against sex workers. Luca holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Human Rights and International Politics from Glasgow University.

Roundtable participants

Surang Janyam (pronouns she/her/hers) is the founder and the Director of the Service Workers in Group Foundation (SWING), providing sexual health education, community outreach, HIV/STI services, human right promotion and de-stigmatization of sex workers regardless of their genders and nationalities. Surang has been an activist on human rights of sex workers and marginalized populations since early 2000’s and serves as a prominent contributor to Thailand’s taskforces on HIV/AIDS, STI, human rights and community-led HIV services. She is currently a member of Men who have sex with men Community Advisory Board Bangkok (MCAB), a member to the National Subcommittee on HIV Right Protection and Promotion, a member of the Committee on Legalization, Justice and Human Right for the House of Representatives, and joining a taskforce on policy movement and decriminalization of sex works and sex toys. Surang graduated from the Srinakharinwirot University, Thailand, with Master of Arts in Adult Education and Bachelor of Arts in Health Education.

Borche Bozhinov, (pronouns he/him/his), President, STAR-The First Sex Workers’ Collective in the Balkans. Borche has been engaged in the sex industry since his early 20s’ migrating from one to another western European countries. Driven by his community experience working in regulated and non-regulated sex work circumstances, in 2010 Borche mobilized the Macedonian sex worker community and they jointly founded STAR, The First Sex Workers’ Collective in the Balkans. Since its foundation, sex workers’ rights are always paramount in his agenda, advocating for better living and working conditions for all sex workers, globally. Currently, Borche along with other stakeholders is a member of the working group within the Ministry of Justice in the Republic of North Macedonia working on amendments to the Criminal Code that penalize or criminalize certain activities related to sex work.

Elena Reynaga (pronouns she/her/hers) is a Sex Worker who started her social activism in 1994, organising against the constant violations of the human rights of sex workers. She founded the Asociación de Mujeres Meretrices de Argentina (AMMAR) and in 1997 she became one of the founders of the Network of Sex Workers of Latin America and the Caribbean (RedTraSex), which brings together 14 countries in the Region, and today is its Executive Secretary. She is a reference at regional and international level, since 2020 she has been the regional coordinator in Latin America and the Caribbean for the Global Alliance of actions to eliminate HIV-related stigma and discrimination. In 2008 she was named outstanding personality of the Human Rights by the legislature of the City of Buenos Aires, and in 2014 the Senate of the Argentine Nation awarded her a diploma of honour for her struggle in the defence of Human Rights.

Grace Kamau (pronouns she/her/hers) holds a Bachelor degree in Sociology and Political science from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa. She identifies as a female sex worker and has worked in the HIV field in relation to key populations for 8 years. She has previously worked at Bar Hostess Empowerment Programme (BHESP) as Program Officer and worked as a consultant with the Global Network of Sex Work Projects. Her passion has been working with sex workers on issues of HIV prevention, human rights and movement building. She has also worked as the National coordinator of the Kenya Key Population Consortium and she currently works as the African Sex Workers Alliance Regional Coordinator in Nairobi.

Phelister Abdalla (pronouns she/her/hers) is the National Coordinator of Kenya Sex Workers Alliance. She is a co- founder of African Sex Workers Alliance (ASWA) and one of the pioneers of the Sex Workers Movements in Africa. Before joining KESWA, Phelister worked for ICRH Kenya as a peer educator and zone leader leading in the organization’s advocacy and peer mobilization. Phelister is on the front line in creating awareness and advocating for the rights of sex workers at national, regional and global levels including lobbying and advocacy for policy reform and leading in decriminalization of sex work process in Kenya. She is known for her articulation in addressing critical issues such as stigma and discrimination; violence faced by sex workers, community of sex workers’ empowerment and inclusion of the sex workers’ agenda across the country and across Africa. Phelister also serves on numerous committees and other boards representing sex workers and Key Populations in Kenya, Africa and globally due to her dedication of highlighting the issues of sex workers. Phelister is currently the vice president of Global network of sex work projects (NSWP).

IPPF Member Associations Interventions

Sarah Hulsmans, Policy Advisor Reproductive Health, Sensoa – Flemish expertise centre for sexual health, Belgium

Elizabeta Bozinoska, Programme Director, Health Education and Research Association (HERA) – North Macedonia

Marisela Flemming, Interim Executive Director, Foundation for the Promotion of Responsible Parenthood, Curaçao

Worachote Lamudthong, project manager, Planned Parenthood Association Thailand (PPAT), Thailand