Sex work is work. Respect! - Campaign launch

On Friday, 2 June 2017, the HUZUR neighbourhood centre in Bülowstraße (Berlin-Schöneberg) hosted the launch of the Sex Work is Work. Respect! was celebrated. The Care Revolution Network, which includes sex workers' associations, has been advocating this position since it was founded. At the press conference this morning, various sex workers and feminist activists spoke about the current situation of sex workers in Germany, which will deteriorate immensely when the so-called Prostitute Protection Act comes into force on 1 July 2017. In the appeal for the press conference, the campaign representatives wrote:"We are launching a campaign for the human rights of sex workers and are calling for the Prostitute Protection Act to be withdrawn, as the planned measures do not protect sex workers, but control them."Under the pretext of protection, the rights and opportunities for self-determination of all sex workers are being worsened. In fact, the separation of sex workers with and without a German passport is wrong, as the campaign representatives emphasised and pointed out the solidarity between them. On the one hand, state institutions and media discourse prevent sex work from being recognised as gainful care work and, on the other, continue to shift the focus towards 'victim stigma'. The spokesperson for the campaign, Stephanie Klee, emphasised: "We are fighting for social justice. For us, this means the complete destigmatisation of sex work and the equality of sex work with other gainful employment."If you are interested in further information and planned stages of the campaign and would like to support it, you can find information on the website here.