sex workers in europe manifesto + declaration

Sex Workers in Europe Manifesto

This manifesto was elaborated and endorsed by 120 sex workers from 26 countries at the European Conference on Sex Work, Human Rights, Labour and Migration 15 - 17 October 2005, Brussels, Belgium.

(photo from demonstration at the conference)

sex workers in europe manifesto

declaration of the rights of sex workers in europe

international committee on the rights of sex workers in europe (click here)

History
In 2002 a group of Dutch sex workers and allies took the initiative to organise a Conference on Sex Work that would challenge the current neo conservative political debate on sex work and trafficking. With the International Network of Sex Work Projects (NSWP) we looked at the possibilities of a world conference. Together we concluded that although there are a lot of similarities regarding the position of sex workers all around the world such as stigmatisation, social exclusion and violence, the differences between the different regions were too big to organise a global conference in the way we had envisioned. Therefore we decided to start with a European Conference.

Mid 2003 we approached sex workers from all over Europe to ask whether there was an interest in such a conference and if sex workers were interested in joining the Organisation Committee. This consultation led to many enthusiastic responses from sex workers from different European countries who wanted to be involved in this process. In January 2004 the Organisation Committee met for the first time in Amsterdam and has been working hard since to realise the conference.

The consultation initiative for the development of the Declaration and Manifesto began approximately a year ahead of the conference date. Sex workers, organisations involved with sex workers and allies working in the fields of human, labour and migrant's rights contributed to the second draft. These drafts were brought to the conference and were further elaborated and endorsed by the 120 sex worker and 80 ally participants.