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SWAN - SWAN News

Macedonia: Impromptu Sex Worker Action In Skopje

Posted: July 11th, 2010, 9:08am PDT by Aliya

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This April 1st, fierce and fabulous STAR leaders Laura Feer and Tina made a spontaneous action for their rights. This action was all Laura and Tina, no donors, no organizations, just a fabulous idea and the guts to make it happen!

Every April 1st, there is a large show in the city center of Skopje, Macedonia. Everyone comes out to celebrate together and attend the festivities. According to Laura: "On this day many citizens are there and so are many television crews. We decided to use the opportunity. We dressed up as girls. We came up with two slogans on signs. My slogan was "Bad law not bad whore" and Tina's was "Love the prostitute, fuck the police!"
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Hungary: SWAN at WITNESS Video Advocacy Institute and Strategic meeting in Budapest

Posted: July 11th, 2010, 9:06am PDT by Aliya

March, 2010, Budapest – The beginning of March proved to be busy and full of events for some of SWAN members. SWAN representatives from Tais Plus (Kyrgyzstan), Legalife (Ukraine), Humanitarian Action (Russia) and the SWAN secretariat were invited to Budapest by the Open Society Institute to take part in an intensive 5-day hands-on training in creating advocacy films.

This Video Advocacy Institute 2010 training was organized and delivered by WITNESS (www.witness.org) in cooperation with Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (www.tasz.hu) and OSI.
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Albania: Media sensitization training

Posted: July 11th, 2010, 9:03am PDT by Aliya

On Saturday, May 29, 2010 the third and final generation of SWAN groups participated in a training on media sensitizations in Tirana, Albania. Genci and Enkelejda of Aksion Plus were gracious hosts in their beautiful city. Representative from sex work projects from Hungary, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Albania, Montenegro and Latvia participated in the one-day event which also brought together sex workers from Hungary, Albania and Bulgaria.

The sensitization was offered by Gabor Miklosi, a Hungarian journalist working for SWAN, Katerina Partinova of the Macedonian group HOPS and Anna-Louise Crago, a sex workers’ rights consultant for SWAN. This combination proved to be very successful.
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Media Issues for Sex Worker Project in the Region (Generation III of SWAN Groups)

Posted: July 11th, 2010, 9:01am PDT by Aliya

June 3, 2010
By Anna-Louise Crago
Over all the ethical breaches and problems surrounding media representation of sex workers echoed those of previous SWAN groups who did the media sensitization trainings. The fact that Hungary has a legalized system with tolerance zones contributed new dynamics and issues to think about.

1. “Outing”
SWAN members mentioned that media often “out” sex workers by filming them without permission while sex workers are working or being arrested in the context of a police raid. Furthermore, in Hungary, media routinely visit the tolerance zones on the street and film the women creating an obstacle to those women who wish to work in one of the only legal ways available. Criticisms of this practice were rebuffed by media who maintained that the tolerance zones were public places giving them full permission to film.
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Hungary: The How and Why of Getting High

Posted: July 11th, 2010, 8:59am PDT by Aliya

Boglárka, of the newly renamed Association of Hungarian Sex Workers informs us about recent research on Hungarian sex workers and drug use. The findings deconstruct many stereotypes about who gets high and why.

SWAN News: Please tell us about your organization’s recent name change from MPEE to SZEXE.
The Association changed its name from Association of Hungarian Prostitutes to Association of Hungarian Sex Workers since the employees of the organization believe that it better reflects their view of sex workers as workers and the concept of sex work as work. We believe that the word “sex worker” indicates that sex workers contribute to the country’s economy by paying taxes.
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Serbia: JAZAS expands services for sex workers and opens new drop-in center

Posted: July 11th, 2010, 8:57am PDT by Aliya

On October 8th, 2009, JAZAS, opened a new drop-in center for sex workers funded by the Global Fund called “Center for Support”. The center’s main activities are: the provision of legal advice by the law team; assistance by the social support team in obtaining documents necessary for getting ID, health insurance and social insurance; self-support activities for participants; and the development of promotional materials. HIV counseling and testing are also available at the center. Sex worker peer educators have been active in implementing all the activities and working with clients of the services. Their first hand experience has proved invaluable in promoting the center’s activities among sex workers. So far more than 300 services have been provided to more than 80 clients. The project’s goal is to reach 200 clients in its first year.

The center staff work closely with the JAZAS Educational Center, (JAZAS’ first drop-in center), the mobile medical unit and the outreach team in referring clients to institutions, health care centers and other organizations.

Starting in July 2010, JAZAS will combine both centers into one comprehensive drop-in center where sex workers will be able to use these various services every day.

JAZAS http://www.jazas.net/
Contact person: Stasa Plecas, ecjazas@gmail.com
SWAN Member Organizations Use December 17 for Campaign Purposes

Posted: April 12th, 2010, 9:59am PDT by Aliya

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Sex workers’ organizations across Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia used the opportunity of the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers to advocate SW’s rights. Below is a summary of the activities carried out be the organizations.

• HOPSand STAR, Macedonia: workshops, screenings
The Program for support of sex workers at HOPS organized a Human Rights week throughout 10-17 December with various daily activities.
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SWAN Member Organizations Use December 17 for Campaign Purposes

Posted: April 7th, 2010, 4:07am PDT by olga

Sex workers’ organizations across Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia used the opportunity of the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers to advocate SW’s rights. Below is a summary of the activities carried out be the organizations.

• HOPS, Macedonia: workshops, screenings
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Ukraine is Continuing to Kill Sex Workers

Posted: April 7th, 2010, 3:54am PDT by olga

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For the third consecutive year, on December the 17th sex workers called for society to respect the human dignity of persons involved in commercial sex, to combat discrimination and violence against one of the most marginalized groups of our society.

"Half a year ago, a sex worker died a violent death in Kirovograd. Recently two male escorts who provided sexual services were killed in Sevastopol, and there are cases of girls disappearing. This year we recorded dozens of human rights abuse cases against sex-workers, occurring in almost half of Ukraine's regions” - says Irina Mishina, the chair of the Ukrainian league Legalife.
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You Must Know About Me – Macedonian Sex Workers’ Campaign Video

Posted: April 7th, 2010, 3:50am PDT by olga

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In Macedonia, as throughout the world, sex workers are pushed to the margins of society by a combination of prejudice, discrimination, and violence. Insults and hate plague their lives, pervade media reports, and direct the approach of social institutions. But the lives and livelihoods of sex workers comprise of much more and the conviction remains that the selling of sexual services does not justify denial of fundamental rights, to which all human beings are entitled.

“You Must Know About Me” is a first-hand account of sex workers’ experiences and aspirations off and on the streets prepared by HOPS, SWAN's member organization in Macedonia. While dealing with the harassment and violence from clients, pimps, and the police, sex workers strive to counter the hostile public attitude by speaking out and fighting for basic rights. The video calls for zero tolerance of violence against sex workers, adequate investigation and prosecution of perpetrators, and coordinated response of social institutions to the actual needs of sex workers.
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National Mapping of Commercial Sex Workers in Albania

Posted: April 7th, 2010, 3:47am PDT by olga

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Albanian SWAN-member Aksion Plus have prepared the first national map on the sex work-scene in Albania. The findings are alarming.

Significantly higher rates of HIV and STI infections have been documented among sex workers and their clients as compared to most other population groups within a country. However, the true extent of HIV transmission from sex workers and their clients to other populations remains generally unknown.
Many factors significantly contribute to raise sex workers' HIV and STI infection vulnerability, such as: stigmatization and marginalization, limited access to socio – health and legal services, sexual exploitation and trafficking, exposure to violence and substance abuse.
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Tais Plus and HOPS to Participate at Liverpool Harm Reduction Conference

Posted: April 7th, 2010, 3:45am PDT by olga

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On 25th-29th April 2010, the 21st International Harm Reduction Conference is taking place where it was first established in Liverpool, England.

Here is an update about sex worker and allies involvement, so far, in the conference. A major session on sex work has been accepted, this is supported by the International Sex Work Harm Reduction Caucus. The caucus is an informal network bringing together sex worker organizations and representatives and was formed in order to promote the inclusion of sex workers in debates about harm reduction and human rights particularly within this international forum. It is challenging to get a major session in the program so this is good news!

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3rd SWAN network meeting a great success in Ohrid

Posted: December 16th, 2009, 6:51am PST by Aliya

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The meeting brought together 32 participants from 16 countries with the aim to exchange experience, share problems and find solutions, renew and strengthen the partnership ties and get to know new network members better.

The aim of the meeting was to bring together sex worker activists and NGOs working on sex work issues in the SWAN region and in neighboring countries to discuss further strategies of the Network and its cooperation with other organizations to share their experience. Special focus was placed on developing a set of ways to address stigmatization and violence against sex workers and to develop a plan to document and report human rights abuse in the context of sex work in Eastern and Central Europe and Central Asia (ECE/CA).
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„You Are Not Alone, Together We Are Stronger”

Posted: December 16th, 2009, 5:55am PST by Aliya

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The Ohrid network meeting was preceded by an activists’ meeting. 18 sex worker activists turned the meeting room into an art workshop and a cafeteria to discuss issues and personal experience around sex work in their countries.

In September 2009 SWAN’s third network meeting in Ohrid was preceded by a meeting of 18 sex worker activists from Eastern and Central Europe and Central Asia. They gathered to participate in an advocacy training and to get to know each other better before the “bigger” meeting started. This training involved not only local sex workers from different parts of the country, but also hosted 13 sex workers from other countries of SWAN region. The language gap did not stop or discourage the participants from sharing their positive experience and ideas.
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Report on the Ohrid Meeting in Hetérák

Posted: December 15th, 2009, 2:07pm PST by Aliya

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(translated from Hungarian)

The participants included sex workers and representatives of organizations promoting sex workers’ rights from 16 countries . When checking in it was already clear that we were about to have a training of relaxed atmosphere with a team of nice, intelligent and funny people. The level of the hotel service further raised our mood.

During the first two days, sex workers from different countries shared their experiences and what they had achieved in terms of sex workers’ rights. We met the Macedonian sponsors, HOPS, STAR, and STAR’s Macedonian newsletter for and about sex workers. (Which inspired us to make our own Haeteras newsletter.)
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Media debate on sex work in Hungary

Posted: December 15th, 2009, 1:55pm PST by Aliya

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After a few years of relative silence on sex work legislation in the Hungarian media, the debate regained momentum this summer.

Péter Sárosi, the Drug Policy Director of HCLU challenged the end-demand legislation proposal of MONA (a Hungarian NGO that promotes gender equality and aims to uncover the unfair or inferior treatment of women) and other anti-trafficking organizations. In a newspaper article Sárosi pointed out that even if sex work in Hungary is de jure legal, street sex workers are often harassed by the police, hundreds of them are arrested each month because municipalities reject designating tolerance-zones as the law orders. He called for the inclusion of sex workers into political decision making.
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Sex Workers’ Association in Hungary Start Newsletter

Posted: December 15th, 2009, 1:39pm PST by Aliya

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The newsletter is titled Hetaeras (Hetérák) after the elite mistresses in ancient Greece who alone, among all Greek women, were allowed to manage their own affairs. We translated an article on an opinion poll on sex work in Hungary.

Among other topics, the first issue deals with the entrepreneur’s license, a prerequisite for sex workers to operate legally in Hungary. Following is a brief summary of another article on how sex work is viewed by the general public in Hungary.

Sex Workers’ Association in Hungary and Fact Institute conducted a joint survey to map views held by the general public on sex workers. The phone survey was done on a sample representing the adult population of Hungary in terms of sex, age, education and location of residence.
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Kyrgyzstan: A Case Story – transgender migrant sexworker

Posted: October 28th, 2009, 1:50pm PDT by Aliya

The following story was documented and shared at the 24th Program Coordinating Board (UNAIDS) Meeting, Thematic Segment People on the Move in June of 2009 by Gulnara Kurmanova of Tais Plus, a SWAN member from Kyrgyzstan with the assistance from Selbi Jumayeva and published on the blog of Laura Agustin Border Thinking on Migration, Trafficking and Commercial Sex. The story tells about the surviving of sex workers - and in particular of migrant transgender sex workers - on the streets of Bishkek.

About me: My name is Gulnara Kurmanova. I have worked in HIV programs in partnership with sex workers in Kyrgyz Republic, Central Asia, since 1997. We actively support sex workers’ empowerment and self-organization. I would like to present a story documented by me in my own country.
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Slovakia: C.A. Odyseus Runs Cafeteria for Sex Workers on the Street

Posted: September 29th, 2009, 9:11am PDT by arielle

C.A. Odyseus, SWAN member in Slovakia, has introduced a new element in their outreach services for street sex workers. Street cafeteria though still a novelty, has already proved to be a successful step in making social work more accessible and involving for sex workers.

“From July 2009 we started with street based cafeterias during our outreach work on Slovnaftska street.”, says Lubica Tornoczyova from Odyseus. “Slovnaftska is the area where street sex workers work and this part of the city is famous for trucks parking places. It is an area, which is very close to one of the busy road to the city center. There is a lack of any other services like drinking water, public phones, restaurants or other possibilities where sex workers might possibly refresh themselves or relax after work.”
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Hungary: MPEE Holds Survey on Public Opinion

Posted: September 28th, 2009, 10:29am PDT by arielle

September 3, 2009, Budapest -- The Association of Hungarian Prostitutes (MPEE), a member of SWAN in Hungary held a press conference to highlight the results of a recent survey on the opinion of mainstream population about prostitution in Hungary.

The Association of Hungarian Prostitutes has recently conducted a survey in partnership with the FACT institute. This survey was intended to study and understand what the Hungarian people think about the phenomena of prostitution. In addition, the survey investigates what people think about discrimination against prostitutes by the Hungarian authorities. Before analyzing the survey, it is important to know the legal background of prostitution and issues around sex work in Hungary.
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Macedonia: Police Raid and Forced Testing of 23 Sex Workers in Skopje - UPDATE

Posted: September 28th, 2009, 10:20am PDT by arielle

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After the police raid that took place on 20-21st November, 2008 in Skopje, Macedonia during which 23 sex workers were detained and tested for HIV, HEP B and HEP C, both national and international human rights groups, sex workers groups, supporters and allies took a wide range of actions to raise awareness on the issue, protect the sex workers involved and prevent similar future violations.

A coalition of NGOs and activists took the following steps to respond to the unjust and inhumane treatment of sex workers duing the police raid: they hired lawyers, made official complaints to every human rights protective mechanism in the country (Ombudsman, Sector for internal control within Mol, Commission for human rights within the Parliament etc.), alerted and collaborated with international allies, sent letters to the Government, maintained regular contacts with media, provided legal and psychosocial support to sex workers, among other actions.
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Albania: Media Publishes Results of Survey with Sex Workers

Posted: September 28th, 2009, 10:08am PDT by arielle

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July 2009, Tirana --- Aksion Plus, an Albanian NGO and SWAN member since 2006, worked in cooperation with one of the main media outlets in Tirana to publicize interviews and focus group discussions with sex workers.

Aksion Plus invited a journalist from one of the biggest newspapers in Tirana to participate in conducting interviews with sex worker groups. The journalist held interviews together with Aksion Plus’ peer-educator and social worker. The discussions took part in the office of the organization and in the street. The interviews revealed that conditions under which sex workers provide their services are far from being good in terms of hygiene. Also social support and childcare are lacking.
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