International Sex Worker Harm Reduction Caucus
Sex worker organisations and advocates from around the world have united in order to participate in Harm Reduction 2008: IHRA’s 19th International Conference in Barcelona, Spain (11th – 15th May 2008). This has culminated in the formation of an International Sex Worker Harm Reduction Caucus and the development of a collective statement.
The Caucus aims to increase the participation of sex workers and their organisations and allies in discussions about harm reduction at the international level. It includes representatives from all over the world – including the Network of Sex Work Projects (NSWP), the SWAN network (Europe), the Sex-workers and Allies Network (Sweden), the Scarlet Alliance (Australia), and the Sex Worker Outreach Project (SWOP), the Best Practices Policy Project (BPPP), Saint James Infirmary, the Desiree Alliance, Bayswan, and Different Avenues (all in the USA).
The Caucus has developed a statement that aims to represent the thoughts of sex workers around the world in terms of harm reduction and human rights. The statement is based, in part, on materials developed by ‘Stella’ – a Canadian sex worker rights organisation – and there has been input from sex worker groups in many countries and regions. The statement affirms that sex work is legitimate work rather than a ‘harm’ of drug use which needs to be reduced. In the spirit of “Nothing about us, without us”, the statement also calls for sex worker engagement, leadership and empowerment as essential elements for all programmes wishing to promote the health and safety of sex worker communities.
At Harm Reduction 2008, the Caucus has helped to organise two sessions on Wednesday 14th May on the topic of sex work harm reduction – a Living Room Session on ‘Reducing Harms in Sex Work: Practical presentations from peer-led programmes’, followed by a Concurrent Session on ‘Sex Work: The impact and harms of criminalisation and how to reduce them’. These sessions have been supported by scholarships from the Open Society Institute's Sexual Health and Rights Project (SHARP) and Mama Cash in the Netherlands, and include presentations from all over the world.
The Caucus has organized the First Ever International Sex Worker Harm Reduction Mini-Fest. We are showcasing sexy and thought provoking films made by sex workers. The mini-fest is online (for a limited time only! May 11 to May 20) at http://www.buymybloomers.com/ or come to daily screenings 12.30 to 1.30 pm at the booth 1-level 1 at the conference. The Mini-Fest has been developed in conjunction with the San Francisco Sex Worker Film and Arts Festival.
The International Sex Worker Harm Reduction Caucus would like to encourage the wide distribution of this document. For further information, or to sign up to the statement (before 14th May 2008), please contact Penelope Saunders (hyperlink to email psaunders at bestpracticespolicy.org) or visit the group at their exhibition booth at the conference (Level 1; Booth 1).
