PITCH Sex Work Indonesia OPSI
PITCH Sex Work Indonesia OPSI
Project
Over the past years Indonesian politics have grown more and more conservative. Religious groups are extremely influential on public opinion and on (local) governments and their policies, and they are strongly opposing sex work. The long term goals for this project are to get access to health services for all sex workers (for example through getting IDs, health insurance and drop in centres), to have no stigma and discrimination against sex workers (for example through working with journalists) and to empower sex workers and the sex worker movement through a variety of activities and trainings at OPSI's headquarters in Jakarta (OPSI National) but also at the provincial level, totalling at 18 provinces. OPSI National is the key partner for the implementation of all these activities.
Project details
Jakarta
Objectives
Partners under PITCH aim to beat the AIDS epidemic in countries that are most affected by HIV. If sex workers have equal access to HIV-related and sexual and reproductive services, if equal and full rights for sex workers are realised and if a strong civil society exists then sex workers will be able to work under safe conditions. Specific outcomes of OPSI's work include increased access to sex work friendly services, make local and national policies favourable towards sex workers health and increased access for sex workers to sex worker-led legal services.
Community groups
OPSI reaches sex workers in Indonesia with all their activities. OPSI targets the general population to adress stigma and discrimination of sex workers. Over 200 sex workers will be able to access services through the drop in centres.
Background
2018 is an election year during which a draft Penal Code is being discussed that will among others criminalise extramarital sex and therefore make it very hard to make a livelihood as a sex worker. The government hopes to close all brothels in 2018. Healthcare facilities and healthcare workers often stigmatise and discriminate against sex workers. The lack of availability of ID cards is a barrier to accessing public health services, as ID cards are required to obtain government insurance cards, which are required to access health services. The sex worker movement is growing and strengthening as OPSI takes the lead in strengthening local branches throughout the country.
Around 48.000 new HIV infections are reported yearly. In 2016, ART coverage was 13%. The HIV epidemic is concentrated in specific provinces and high-risk groups such as sex workers. The overall population prevalence is around 0.41% (age 15 to 49).