The Guardian, Tuesday 4 August 2015
Amnesty International is “poised to make a serious mistake” that would “severely and irreparably tarnish” the organisation’s reputation. What is the mistake? Listening to sex workers globally and considering adopting a policy supporting the decriminalisation of sex work.
The past week has seen a battle of petitions and open letters defending and attacking Amnesty’s move. What should matter to Amnesty’s directors and members is the strong, growing and undeniable evidence collected by academics and international organisations that criminalising any aspect of sex work makes sex workers more vulnerable to sexual and other forms of violence, forced rehabilitation, arrests, deportation and contracting HIV. What should matter even more is the voice of the sex workers themselves.
- Read more here
- Access the petition to Amnesty International Council by Global Network of Sex Work Projects here