2025 IWD is International

The history of International Sex Workers Day began in the 1970s in France. Back then, prostitution was legal in France, but surrounding activities were illegal like pimping, operating a brothel, or paying for sex with someone underage. Nevertheless, police kept sex worker under increasing pressure, forcing them to work in secret. Sex workers weren’t protected, which led to increasing violence against them. The government did nothing to improve the situation.