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Today is International Sex Workers' Day. I'm sending love and gratitude to sex worker friends and comrades from numerous countries who I've worked and learned with. From Sri Lanka to Singapore to Tajikistan to Macedonia to Thailand and so on. Thread of resources below. #ISWD2020
A 2017 report on the status of sex workers in Sri Lanka by sex workers and orgs that work on sex worker rights. Highly recommended reading, esp if everything you know about sex workers in Sri Lanka so far is from mainstream media: https://www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/1356376/1930_1485441324_int-cedaw-ngo-lka-26289-e.pdf #ISWD2020 #lka
Policing and police violence are literally all in a day's work for sex workers. Here are some accounts of violence that sex workers in Sri Lanka face from the police and armed forces.
CW for various forms of violence including sexual violence.
CW for various forms of violence including sexual violence.
Sex workers in Sri Lanka have been organizing to fight for their rights. Abhimani Women's Collective is one such group and this tribute and farewell to their founder Kusum Jayalath who passed away last October tells their story. https://www.lankanewsweb.net/sinhala/127-general-news/49952-%E0%B6%87%E0%B6%BA-%E0%B6%85%E0%B6%B7%E0%B7%92%E0%B6%B8%E0%B7%8F%E0%B6%B1%E0%B6%BA%E0%B7%99%E0%B6%B1%E0%B7%8A-%E0%B6%B1%E0%B7%92%E0%B6%9A%E0%B7%8A%E0%B6%B8-%E0%B6%9C%E0%B7%92%E0%B6%BA%E0%B7%8F%E0%B6%BA #ISWD2020
. @apnsw @sangramsanstha @GrassrootedSL are some of the organisations providing financial and other kinds of support and solidarity for groups like Abhimani to keep going. Making and selling crafts is another small way of fundraising (photo from Kusum, Abhimani). #ISWD2020
Sex workers in Sri Lanka are not a homogenous group and there are both cisgender and transgender people engaged in this work. There are also migrants doing sex work in Sri Lanka. This report by @apnsw has more: https://www.apnsw.info/programs/sex-worker-implementation-tool-swit-national-training-in-colombo-sri-lanka-august-2019 #ISWD2020
This article by @Roarlk also describes some of the social, economic and cultural factors that leave some trans people with no choice but to do sex work: https://roar.media/english/life/in-the-know/fitting-in-as-a-transwoman-in-sri-lanka/ #ISWD2020 #lka
I'll share a couple of resources that outline the main asks of the sex worker movements. This logo of @apnsw is one of my favourite ways to open this conversation. Sex workers don't need to be pitied or rescued. They want autonomy and for sex work to be decriminalised. #ISWD2020
Sex work is not trafficking. One of the main reasons why sex workers cannot fully realize their rights is because sex work and prostitution continue to be conflated with human trafficking. This note by @GlobalSexWork explains why this conflation is harmful https://www.nswp.org/sites/nswp.org/files/SW%20is%20Not%20Trafficking_Summary.pdf
It's harmful to sex workers, victims/survivors of human trafficking and migrants. And ends up enabling anti-prostitution and anti-immigration policies, states, groups, etc. Our friends at @EmpowerThailand do a fabulous job explaining this: https://twitter.com/theasianfmnst/status/1231177053396848641?s=20 #ISWD2020
While "sex work is work" is a clarion call, there are feminist faultlines to be occupied about the capitalist, neoliberal world of work they might end up being included in. @MissLoreleiLee discusses some of this in this episode of @callyrgf https://www.callyourgirlfriend.com/episodes/2019/12/13/sex-work-sesta-fosta #ISWD2020
"So sometimes it's a kind of respectability thing. It's like this desire to professionalize sex work...sometimes I think sex work as work is trying...to frame it within terms that people -especially people living under capitalism- think are positive." - @MissLoreleiLee #ISWD2020
This thread by @IWRAW_AP shares some powerful thoughts and quotes by sex workers. https://twitter.com/IWRAW_AP/status/1267768057574748162?s=20
Sex workers and trans ppl have been some the most hard hit people from covid-19 in Sri Lanka. From losing livelihoods to being falsely accused of spreading the virus to “NIC days” being stressful when you don’t resemble your photo on your ID, it’s been a nightmare.
