Tag: The ESPLER Project

Sex workers are criminalised for their means of making a living in all but a handful of countries and jurisdictions. Addressing stigma and violence are key priorities of sex worker groups everywhere. For most sex workers, police are not there to protect them but perpetrate most of the violence against them. Harassment, confiscation of condoms, extortion, arbitrary arrest, and rape are common examples of police violence. Nadia van der Linde is the Coordinator of the Red Umbrella Fund, the first global grant making organisation for and by sex workers based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Previously she lived in Thailand, where she organised the first Asia and Pacific Regional Consultation on HIV and Sex Work. Nadia would like to thank Chantelle de Nobrega at Mama Cash for her valuable feedback on earlier versions of this article.