Description
Sex workers are excluded from public debates on prostitution in Hungary and are not given opportunities to represent their interests and articulate their points of view to the public and decision makers. In policy discourses, the emphasis lies on trafficking while discrimination, social stigma and crime sex workers face are not that highly prioritized. The project builds on UN CEDAW recommendations of strategic importance by supporting initiatives of the affected group, that can change the public perception and start public debates that reflect sex workers’ perspectives. As outcome a more inclusive professional and public debate on sex work will be built and decision makers and professionals become more willing to include sex workers in policy formulation. Outputs: photo exhibition, conference, media coverage, impact assessment, trainings for sex workers, consultations with decision makers. Target groups: sex workers, indirectly those who are in marginalized and stigmatized situation.
Summary of project results
The project engaged marginalized sex workers to advocate for their own interests and to contribute to changing the present stigmatizing public opinion and initiating public debates that reflect on their needs. Direct target group: general public, policy makers, professionals and experts in the prostitution topic. Indirect target group: app. 15 000 Hungarian sex workers (mainly low-income, un(der)skilled women, single mothers with a high portion of Roma individuals). Activities: 1. Recruitment of sex worker activists 2. Empowerment training series for sex workers 3. Portraits of sex workers and public exhibition:
http://semmitrolunknelkulunk.org/ 4. Legal aid service 5. Impact assessment of the misdemeanours law 6. Conciliation talks with public authorities to follow-up on the UN CEDAW recommendations on sex work 7. Nothing about us, without us! – conference on sex work (1 July 2014)
Summary of bilateral results