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#InternationalDayToEndViolenceAgainstSexWorkers: Decriminalize Sex Work!
Today marks International Day to End Violence against Sex Workers. There’s no better time to stress that protection of sex workers must start with decriminalization! 👇
📌 Sex work is not only illegal in Thailand, but it is also criminalized. Despite the fact that around 300,000 individuals in Thailand make their living through sex work, they have little to no protection!
🚓🚨Criminalization of sex work makes sex workers incredibly vulnerable to violence at hands of the law enforcement officers and clients. Police take the liberty to conduct frequent violent raids, random drug tests or extort bribes. Even when sex workers face violence from their clients, they have no way to demand remedies without fear of being prosecuted themselves.
#SexWorkIsWork ⚠️ Because sex workers live in the legal protection vacuum, lack of safety and high exposure to abuse are not their only problems. They are also excluded from a wide range of public services and safety nets. During the COVID-19 pandemic, sex workers have been one of the most affected groups as they were left out of all governmental support.
✊ Sex workers, including sex workers facing intersectional forms of discrimination, such as indigenous peoples, ethnic minorities or LGBTIQ+ persons, are Equal Human Beings with equal rights! They need to urgently be recognized as such!
#WeAreManushyan ♾️ Equal Human Beings
✊ We call on the Thai government to decriminalize sex work, provide necessary protection to sex workers and end violence against them!
While you’re here…
Learn more about the fate of sex workers in Thailand from our UPR Factsheet on the Rights of Sex Workers: https://www.manushyafoundation.org/thailand-third-upr-cycle-factsheet-the-rights-of-sex-workers
Take a look at Joint CERD Shadow Report 'Thailand is a paradise but only for the 1%!', in which we denounced the unfair treatment of sex workers belonging to ethnic minorities: https://www.manushyafoundation.org/joint-civil-society-cerd-shadow-report