Cheryl Overs, founder of the Global Network of Sex Work Projects, sets out her map of the collective thinking of sex workers on claims for labour, gender, health and economic rights as well as trafficking and child sexual abuse. She draws upon the writings of sex workers and publications of sex worker groups as well as notes and memories from more than thirty years of global activism. See Cheryl's plenary speech at the 2012 AIDS conference in Washington DC: -http://pag.aids2012.org/session.aspx?s=677#2%5C Some of Cheryl's recent publications: -Sex work and the new era of HIV prevention and care: http://www.eldis.org/go/home&id=44838&type=Document -No Bad Women just Bad Laws: A Summary of sex workers claims for labour, gender, health and economic rights as well as principles in respect of human trafficking, research in sex workers, clients and child sexual abuse. http://www.hivandthelaw.com/perspectives/share-your-stories/expert-opinion/no-bad-women-just-bad-laws
All activists have good years, bad years and the rare great one. For sex worker rights activists 2012 was a great year.
The report of the Global Commission on HIV and the Law, released today, recommends the repeal of laws that prohibit consenting adults from buying or selling sex. The recommendations will be a powerful advocacy tool for sex workers at both international and local levels.
Greece has been in the news for prosecuting HIV positive sex workers and posting the women’s photographs on the Internet. The Greek health authorities and many other governments and local authorities that have taken similar actions against sex workers have both the human rights and the public health very wrong.
