Testimonials - AIA News Blog - Adult Industry Association2024-03-28T22:27:34Zhttps://adultindustryassociation.org/blog/feed/category/TestimonialsProtecting the rights of sex workershttps://adultindustryassociation.org/blog/protecting-the-rights-of-sex-workers2020-07-21T15:00:08.000Z2020-07-21T15:00:08.000ZAdmin Teamhttps://adultindustryassociation.org/members/MammaMia<div>Source: <a href="https://www.unaids.org/en/resources/presscentre/featurestories/2017/june/20170602_sexwork">https://www.unaids.org/en/resources/presscentre/featurestories/2017/june/20170602_sexwork</a>Sex workers continue to face criminalization, violence, discrimination and other forms of human rights violations which increase their risk of acquiring HIV.Sex workers—female, male and transgender adults who have consensual sex in exchange for money or goods, either regularly or occasionally—are among the populations that are being left behind in the HIV response. HIV prevalence among sex workers is 10 times higher than among the general population, and sex workers are poorly served by HIV services.Many of the human rights challenges, vulnerabilities and barriers sex workers face in accessing HIV services are due to criminalisation and the restrictive laws, regulations and practices they face. Selling and/or buying sex is partially or fully criminalized in at least 39 countries. In many more countries some aspect of sex work is criminalized, and in other countries general criminal law is applied to criminalize sex work (for example, laws against loitering and vagrancy).The threat of detention, as well as laws that allow for the use of condoms as evidence of sex work, are serious barriers to the availability and uptake of HIV prevention programmes and services. When possession of condoms is used by the police as evidence of sex work, this greatly increases the risk of HIV among this key population. Even where sex work is not criminalized, sex workers are rarely protected under the lawFurthermore, studies have shown that female sex workers are subjected to high levels of violence—in Haiti, for example, 36.6% of female sex workers report physical violence and 27.1% report sexual violence.However, sex worker organizations are leading efforts to advance their human rights and access to HIV services in many countries. In South Africa, sex worker-led organizations worked closely with the Ministry of Health to develop the South African National Sex Worker HIV Plan 2016–2019, which calls for an enabling environment for the protection of, and access to HIV services for, sex workers. The nationwide programme enlisted peer motivators to assist in the distribution of condoms and lubricant, information on sexually transmitted infections and HIV prevention, paralegal services and health service referrals. Community empowerment services that aim to reduce violence, stigma and discrimination included sensitization training and a helpline for sex workers.In India, sex worker organizations are working with the police and the community to reduce violence against sex workers, and to establish health and social services for themselves and their families.There is growing evidence of the importance of addressing the structural and legal barriers that affect sex workers. Ending the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat would require translating this evidence into practice, including by ensuring that governments and all stakeholders prioritize and intensify efforts to protect the human rights of sex workers and to increase their access to HIV prevention and treatment services.</div>Understanding Sex Work in an Open Societyhttps://adultindustryassociation.org/blog/understanding-sex-work-in-an-open-society2020-07-17T14:59:37.000Z2020-07-17T14:59:37.000ZAdmin Teamhttps://adultindustryassociation.org/members/MammaMia<div>Source: <a href="https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/explainers/understanding-sex-work-open-society">https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/explainers/understanding-sex-work-open-society</a>Who are sex workers?Sex workers are adults who receive money or goods in exchange for consensual sexual services or erotic performances, either regularly or occasionally.Why use the term “sex worker” rather than “prostitute”?The term “sex worker” recognizes that sex work is work. Prostitution, on the other hand, has connotations of criminality and immorality. Many people who sell sexual services prefer the term “sex worker” and find “prostitute” demeaning and stigmatizing, which contributes to their exclusion from health, legal, and social services.Why do some people do sex work?Sex workers sell sexual services in order to earn a livelihood. The vast majority of sex workers choose to do sex work because it is the best option they have. Many sex workers struggle with poverty and destitution and have few other options for work. Others find that sex work offers better pay and more flexible working conditions than other jobs. And some pursue sex work to explore and express their sexuality.Why shouldn’t sex work be a crime?Criminalization of sex work compromises sex workers’ health and safety by driving sex work underground. Criminalization includes everything from criminalizing the sale and purchase of sexual services, to blanket prohibitions on management of sex work. Criminalization makes it harder for sex workers to negotiate terms with clients, work together with other sex workers for safety, and carry condoms without fear that they will be used as evidence of prostitution.Sex workers in many settings report extreme levels of violence and harassment in connection with their work, including from clients, managers, and police. Criminalization makes it difficult for sex workers to report rights violations, especially by the police, because they are vulnerable to incarceration, further abuse, and retribution. This perpetuates stigma, violence, and impunity, which further endanger sex workers’ health and safety.What’s wrong with laws that target only the clients of sex workers?Many opponents of sex work acknowledge the harms that result from criminalizing sex workers and support a system that criminalizes buyers and third parties—such as managers or brothel owners—but not sex workers themselves. This kind of criminalization, which is often referred to as the “Swedish” or “Nordic” model, seeks to end demand for sex work while treating sex workers as victims rather than criminals.This model perpetuates stigma against sex workers, leading to discrimination in social services, housing, and health care, and does not address the fundamental problem of criminalization, driving sex work underground and pushing sex workers away from safety and services. Criminalization of clients and third parties hasn’t been effective in achieving its intended goal of abolishing—or even reducing—sex work. In France, for example, the purchase of sexual services was criminalized in 2016 and two years later a study demonstrated that the impact on sex workers was severe, including major deterioration in living conditions and greater exposure to violence. In Sweden, where criminalization of the purchase of sexual services was introduced in 1999, online advertisements for sexual services has increased exponentially in the past decade. What is decriminalization of sex work?Decriminalization means removal of criminal and administrative penalties that apply specifically to sex work, creating an enabling environment for sex worker health and safety. For decriminalization to be meaningful, it must be accompanied by a recognition of sex work as work, allowing sex work to be governed by labor law and protections similar to other jobs. While decriminalization does not resolve all challenges that sex workers face, it is a necessary condition to realize sex workers’ human rights.The Open Society Foundations support decriminalization of sex work as the best way to protect the health and human rights of sex workers.What is human trafficking, and how is sex work different?Human trafficking is an egregious human rights violation involving the threat or use of force, abduction, deception, or other forms of coercion for the purpose of exploitation. This may include forced labor, sexual exploitation, slavery, and more.Sex work, on the other hand, is a consensual transaction between adults, where the act of selling or buying sexual services is not a violation of human rights. Conflating trafficking with sex work can be harmful and counterproductive.Sex worker organizations oppose exploitation, and many argue that the most effective way to address exploitation, including human trafficking, is to strengthen workers’ rights and address economic injustices. Precarious work, restrictive migration policies, and gender inequality all contribute to greater vulnerability to exploitation.Is sex work inherently harmful?The fact that sex work is work does not mean that it is good work, or empowering work, or harmless work. However, sex work is not inherently harmful, but criminalization and stigma do make sex work circumstantially harmful.Sex workers, like most workers, have diverse feelings about their work. Some sex workers dislike their work but find that it is their best or only option to make a living. Some are agnostic about their work but find that it offers flexibility or good pay. And some enjoy the work and find it all around rewarding or fun. Regardless of what sex workers think about their work, they deserve workplace health and safety and human rights.</div>TRAFFICKING IN WOMEN AND GIRLS IN THE CONTEXT OF GLOBAL MIGRATION: SEX WORKER INCLUSIVE FEMINIST ALLIANCE (SWIFA) SUBMISSION TO THE UN COMMITTEE ON THE ELIMINATION OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN IN Thttps://adultindustryassociation.org/blog/trafficking-in-women-and-girls-in-the-context-of-global-migrati-12020-06-28T19:34:30.000Z2020-06-28T19:34:30.000ZAdmin Teamhttps://adultindustryassociation.org/members/MammaMia<div><p>You can read the whole report here: <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/ior40/2431/2020/en/">https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/ior40/2431/2020/en/</a></p></div>TRAFFICKING IN WOMEN AND GIRLS IN THE CONTEXT OF GLOBAL MIGRATION: SUBMISSION TO THE UN COMMITTEE ON THE ELIMINATION OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN IN THE CONTEXT OF THE DRAFT GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONhttps://adultindustryassociation.org/blog/trafficking-in-women-and-girls-in-the-context-of-global-migration2020-06-28T19:32:32.000Z2020-06-28T19:32:32.000ZAdmin Teamhttps://adultindustryassociation.org/members/MammaMia<div><p>You can read the whole report here: <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/ior40/2274/2020/en/">https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/ior40/2274/2020/en/</a></p></div>CSN off and runninghttps://adultindustryassociation.org/blog/csn-off-and-running2016-11-01T04:35:14.000Z2016-11-01T04:35:14.000ZTerry Babbhttps://adultindustryassociation.org/members/TerryBabb<div><p>Good day all,</p><p>I just wanted to share will the network some successes i have had since joining.</p><p>Like most of you , as a friend and colleague of Charlie Spice, we try to support him in his endeavors, and for the most part supporting him, supports ourselves,.So when he invited me to join the CSN, I was fully behind him, but with a wait and see attitude, it even took me while to use all the tools provided on the CSN..</p><p>I am happy to report since i have been positing ads (only within the last 2 weeks) I have gotten numerous contacts in response to my "wanted" ads and also I have gotten some bookings , that i would definitely have not gotten otherwise.; one particular booking that I worked with CSN as a partner and I must say it was a very lucrative pleasure.</p><p>Please let me Congratulate, Charlie Spice and the CSN for this worthwhile initiative and I trust we all will have better business experiences compliments of the CSN.</p><p>Kudos !!!!</p></div>