17 December international Day to end Violence Against Sex workers
Sex workers and allies around the world on this day gather together to remember the victims of the violence and renew our commitment to continue the fight against abuse and human rights of sex rabotnichkov.
The violence of the state and society is a reality of daily life of sex workers.
Criminalization of sex work in the law and in practice, law enforcement, namely police raids, impunity for perpetrators of crimes against sex workers – all of this encourages and supports a high level of violence.
The recently published results of a study of the London school of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine suggests that repression by the police (for example, detention and arrests, moving from one job to another, extortion or abuse by employees) increase the level of violence against sex workers 3 times and lead to a twofold increase in the risk of transmission of HIV and sexually transmitted infections.
In Kyrgyzstan, preliminary results of a national survey of 2018 showed that the level of extortion by the police increased by 60% compared to the year 2015, the level of arbitrary detentions increased in 2 times, and the extent of police threats and blackmail – 3 times.
In Tajikistan arbitrary detention of sex workers – a common practice of the police, which is accompanied by compulsory HIV testing, and STIs. The pressreports that law enforcement agencies have identified nearly 6,000 sex workers in January—September 2018. This means that 6,000 people have been arbitrarily detained and subjected to violence, blackmail and extortion by the police.
In Russia in addition to police abuse is widespread activities of social movements, which are sex workers, arranging so-called "public procurement" with the participation of the media. Sex workers without the permission of the photographed, videotaped, and forced to open the face, or forcibly strip in front of the camera. Fearing violence and movies, the sex workers are trying to flee, jump out of Windows and getting seriously injured.
The representative of the Ministry of internal Affairs of Kyrgyzstan, answering the question of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) at the 60th session in 2015, and assured that each case of violation of the rights of sex workers are investigated immediately, and the commitment of Kyrgyzstan to international standards is a guarantee that the country is not going to accept any legislation punishing sex workers. And in 2016 in Bishkek city militia declared "clean"that de facto is a criminalization. In the end half of the sex workers have access to HIV prevention services and other support.
In Tajikistan, despite the CEDAW Committee's recommendations on the decriminalization of sex work administrative punishment must be more severe in 2015. During the consideration of the report of Tajikistan on the 71st session of the CEDAW in 2018, the Committee drew attention to the continuing reports of violence against sex workers and repeated his question about the country's plans to abolish any sort of punishment. The head of the delegation saidthat this matter was considered by the working group.
The Committee of CEDAW in 2015 and the Committee on economic, social and cultural rights in 2017 has recommended Russia to repeal the discriminatory article 6.11 of the code of administrative offences, but these recommendations were ignored by the government. We use every opportunity to remind people about it, making decisions, expressing our solidarity with the movement of sex workers in Russia.