Sex workers

Hands Off

Globally, sex workers are 13.5 times more likely to be living with HIV than others. Sex work is criminalised in over 110 countries contributing to high levels of violence, stigma, discrimination and other human rights violations. This often results in inconsistent condom use and prevents sex workers from accessing necessary legal support and health care. For example, only 22.5% of female sex workers in Africa have access to HIV prevention programmes. These barriers make sex workers considerably more vulnerable to HIV and AIDS, as well as other sexually transmitted infections and different forms of violence.

Hands Off: a multistakeholder approach for sex worker rights

In this video, we spoke to Julia Vilanculos, who works as coordinator for female sex workers at the National Platform for Sex Workers’ Rights in Mozambique. She talks about the multistakeholder approach of the Hands Off approach for sex worker rights.

Read more about Hands Off!

Direct support for sex worker-led organisations

Aidsfonds works to improve the health and well-being of sex workers. To this end, we give funding for advocacy and empowerment activities and ensure the availability of sex worker-friendly services. We involve sex worker-led organisations and networks in improving the provision of tailored HIV services and advocating for their human rights.

Reducing violence against sex workers

Modelling estimates show that a reduction of almost 25 percent in HIV infections among sex workers can be achieved when physical or sexual violence is reduced. Since 2015, Aidsfonds, together with in-country partners, including many sex worker-led organisations, have worked to reduce violence against sex workers via the Hands Off programme. At the moment, the programme is active in Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Training South African police to work with vulnerable communities

While combating violence is the domain of the police, in South Africa, they were major perpetrators of violence. Aidsfonds financed and supported the development of the Dignity, Diversity and Policing training manual to address the stigmatising and discriminatory attitudes by South African Police. After years of lobby, Dutch civil society umbrella organisation, COC, and other partners got South African Police Services (SAPS) and sex workers to work together on the basis of a ground-breaking memorandum of understanding. A crucial step in the prevention of HIV, since violence undermines prevention efforts and makes sex workers more vulnerable to HIV.

Check out our projects!

Two people holding hands
project

Love Alliance

Love Alliance

The Love Alliance is based on an unwavering commitment to protecting, promoting and fulfilling SRHR globally, unifying people who use drugs, sex workers and LGBTIQ+ movements, and amplifying the diversity of voices in these communities.

Communities
  • Adolescent girls and young women,
  • LGBTIQ+ people,
  • People living with HIV,
  • People who use drugs,
  • Sex workers,
  • Young people,
Read more about Love Alliance
project

Emergency support fund for Ukraine and CEECA region

Emergency support fund for Ukraine and CEECA region

The Emergency Fund provides uninterrupted services and safety for people living with and vulnerable to HIV in times of war and disruption in Central & Eastern Europe and Central Asia (CEECA) region, including Ukraine. The region has the fastest growing HIV epidemic in the world. The Fund focuses on the urgent unmet needs of key populations, builds the capacity and sustainability of the community systems response, and addresses the scarcity and fragmentation of international funding for key populations. It provides small, middle and larger grants to local community-led and community-based organisations, who provide low-threshold, fast-paced, client-oriented aid to the people around them. Cooperation is at the core of our work: Aidsfonds has formed a partnership with Eurasion Coalition on Health, Rights, Gender and Sexual Diversity (ECOM) and Alliance for Public Health (APH) on the establishment of this Emergency Fund.

Communities
  • Children,
  • LGBTIQ+ people,
  • People living with HIV,
  • People who use drugs,
  • Sex workers,
  • Young people,
Read more about Emergency support fund for Ukraine and CEECA region
project

Private: Key populations in Central & Eastern Europe and Central Asia

Private: Key populations in Central & Eastern Europe and Central Asia

Through the participatory grantmaking model, we provide funding and structural support, including capacity strengthening, support in advocacy and coalition building, to key population-and/or key population-based organisations in the region.

Communities
  • Children,
  • LGBTIQ+ people,
  • People living with HIV,
  • People who use drugs,
  • Sex workers,
  • Young people,
Read more about Private: Key populations in Central & Eastern Europe and Central Asia