Rise and Decriminalize: Regional Decriminalization Movement Gathers Momentum in Istanbul Last week, a significant milestone was reached in the ongoing efforts to promote human rights and address the diverse needs of marginalized communities in the Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA) region. Representatives from five regional networks – SWAN, ECOM, EHRA, ENPUD, and EWNA – convened in Istanbul for a pivotal meeting aimed at advancing the Decriminalization Movement framework tailored specifically for the EECA region. The Decriminalization Movement, which commenced a year ago, is founded upon f ..read more

SWAN hosts a webinar on the changing funding landscape for sex worker-led organisations in CEECA In recent years, global developments and changes in donor funding patterns have been creating a crisis in funding for many sex worker-led organisations, particularly those in the CEECA region. On Febuary 28, SWAN hosted a webinar addressing the complex funding landscape confronting our member organisations.  The discussion delved into SWAN’s various activities, from capacity building to advocacy efforts, yet the dire funding situation persists due to donor withdrawals like the Open Society Fou ..read more

SWAN’s Submission to the Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls On the 31st of January this year, the UN closed their call for input from stakeholders on “prostitution and violence against women and girls”, with the results to be presented to the UN Human Rights Council at its 56th session in June 2024. The language in the callout, with its use of the terms ‘prostitute’ and ‘prostituted women’, along with various mischaracterizations of the sex worker rights movement, was highly controversial, raising notable objections from sex-worker-led organisations worldwide. We have taken ..read more

Unveiling the Regional Impact: War in Ukraine’s Ripple Effect on Sex Workers and Advocacy Organizations in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia We are pleased to announce the release of our latest briefing paper, titled “Regional Assessment of the Impact of the War in Ukraine on Sex-Workers and Sex-Worker-Led Organisations in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia.” This comprehensive report delves into the profound implications of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine on sex workers and the organizations that champion their rights across the broader CEECA region. Examining the multifac ..read more

A Victory for our member HOPS from North Macedonia – European Court of Human Rights rules against the state of North Macedonia –  Awards Compensation to  Four Sex Workers for Police Brutality  After a legal battle lasting almost 15 years, the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg has ruled in favour of sex workers in a dispute against the state of Macedonia, after they were subjected to arrest degrading and inhumane treatment at the hands of police in 2008. In Skopje, in November 2008, in an attempted crackdown on street-based sex work, the Ministry of the Interior, detai ..read more

SWAN joins Sex Worker-Led Networks in support for the UN’s Working Group position paper on sex work Statement of Support for the UN Working Group on Discrimination Against Women and Girls regarding their Position Paper on Eliminating Discrimination Against Sex Workers and Securing their Human Rights We the undersigned, as global and regional networks of sex worker-led organisations, would like to express our support for the UN Working Group on Discrimination Against Women and Girls’ position paper, “Eliminating discrimination against sex workers and securing their human rights”, published ..read more

New resource: Experiences and Tips in Community-Led Monitoring – Accounts from SWAN Members The main idea of this resource is to provide impetus to extend Community-Led Monitoring (CLM) in programs with sex workers in our region, in order to inspire SWAN members with the experiences gained.  The material compiles the experience of community-led monitoring (CLM) that has been implemented by Legalife-Ukraine and Tais Plus, Kyrgyzstan,  for a long period of time. It reveals specifics of CLM in programs with sex workers and overviews the recent trends about CLM and perspectives to build ..read more

SWAN joins European Digital Rights in signing their open letter against the EU’s proposed CSA Regulation SWAN has joined 81 other organisations calling on EU member states not to agree to mass surveillance in the EU’s proposed CSA Regulation!  EU countries are on the brink of solidifying their position on the EU Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) Regulation, often referred to as “chat control.” This proposed legislation has profound implications for sex workers, as it could force companies to continuously monitor private digital communications on behalf of governments. Despite widespread apprehensi ..read more

Call for participation in our online survey on intersectional identities and issues! SWAN, ECOM, EHRA, and EWNA are undertaking a regional consultation to collect and assess existing experiences in the ways that intersecting identities – including LGBT, drug users, sex workers, and those living with HIV, might affect peoples’ lives, access to health services, and agency in light of the structural inequalities, social injustice, violence, stigma and discrimination. ‘Intersectionality’ in this context refers to belonging to two or more of these communities or identities. The goal is to develop ..read more

SWAN IS HIRING – Executive Director SWAN is searching for a new Executive Director!  We are looking for a candidate with lived experience of sex work and extensive knowledge of the CEECA region to lead and represent our organization. They will be responsible for the overall management of SWAN, whilst working with, and reporting to an elected board of sex worker representatives from the region, who will oversee their work. What we’re looking for: Lived experience of sex work, and the ability and willingness to speak publicly, on behalf of SWAN and its membership, as a sex worker; In-depth ..read more