Sex workers have been excluded from support packages developed by European governments in response to COVID-19. As a consequence, more and more sex workers are going to be forced into very difficult choices unless urgent action is taken. In response to this situation, the International Committee on the Rights of Sex Workers in Europe has developed a campaign website with a Call for Action based on the calls of national sex workers’ rights organisations and organisations representing marginalised communities.
The webpage includes immediate and long-term demands of the sex worker movement, video interviews with sex workers’ rights activists from many countries, and information about the impact of the pandemic on different sex worker communities. A hundred organisations, including some of the key European networks, have endorsed our call, which will be shared with European Commission, European Parliament and Council of Europe representatives.
‘What else am I supposed to do? I have no savings, my fridge is empty and my rent is due. I have to start working again.’Marie
After weeks respecting the strict confinement regulations in her rented apartment, Marie will break her isolation tomorrow and start booking clients online again. The state has left her no other options. In France, like in many European countries, lockdowns mean that only ‘essential workers’ can work. Everyone else should stay home - if they have one - and wait for the latest announcements.
