Sex work and Feminism. A guide on the feminist principle of sex work organizing
In order to prepare its membership for potential abolitionist campaigns, the Sex Workers’ Rights Advocacy Network (SWAN) initiated conversations with its members on topics related to sex work and feminism. SWAN organized several physical and online workshops, where sex workers had the chance to reflect on their relations with women’s rights or feminist groups, to formulate counter-arguments to anti-sex work narratives, and to learn more about the feminist movement(s) and their cooperation with sex-worker led initiatives beyond and within the CEECA region.
This brief document is the result of these discussions. Its primary aim is to introduce the topic of feminism to sex worker activists, who might not label themselves as such or use feminist terminology due to pejorative connotations of the term in CEECA, but non arguably engage in feminist work. The publication also lists commonly formulated abolitionist arguments that accompany advocacy for the introduction of the Swedish model, and contrasts them with counterarguments from sex workers. Finally, this guide highlights the feminist principles of these sex worker-led collectives and organizations, aiming to help human rights, social justice, and women’s rights activists situate sex workers’ struggles in the wider feminist movement(s).