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FMR 64 Trafficking and smuggling 45

June 2020 www.fmreview.org/issue64

Addressing trafficking in the sex industry: time to
recognise the contribution of sex workers

Borislav Gerasimov

Efforts to combat trafficking in the sex industry must respect sex workers’ decisions and
agency, and recognise them and their organisations as legitimate stakeholders in the anti-
trafficking movement.

Anti-trafficking activism has greatly Research published by the Global
increased since the adoption of the UN Alliance Against Traffic in Women
Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish (GAATW) in 2018, on which this article is
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Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women based, documents the strategies that sex
and Children in 2000. Anti-trafficking workers and their organisations employ to
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efforts have attracted millions of dollars in prevent and address violence, coercion and
funding and the activity of a diverse set exploitation in the sex industry, including
of actors. These now include government instances of trafficking. It demonstrates
institutions, international organisations, clearly that they need to be viewed as key
civil society organisations from the women’s partners in the fight against trafficking.
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rights, migrants’ rights and labour rights
movements, trade unions, faith-based Knowledge is power
groups, and even for-profit entities. These Despite operating in different contexts,
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groups engage in one or more aspects the sex worker organisations whose
of the three ‘pillars’ of anti-trafficking representatives were interviewed by GAATW
work as laid out in the UN Protocol: take the same approach to supporting sex
prevention, protection and prosecution. workers. They each operate a space which
In 2009, US Secretary of State Hillary serves as an accessible drop-in centre,
Clinton added a fourth ‘pillar’ – partnerships where community members can share
– emphasising the need for more effective meals, establish friendships and discuss
collaboration and coordination between issues that concern them. They can also
actors. Since then, it has been institutionalised access a range of services, from language
through various national and international classes to support groups, counselling and
multi-stakeholder working groups. health services. All the organisations also
Notably absent from the institutionalised conduct outreach to sex workers – listening,
response, however, have been organisations advising, intervening and making referrals,
representing the interests of people in the sex as dictated by the individual’s needs.
industry. The exclusion of sex workers and For example, in Thailand the organisation
their organisations from the development Empower organises Thai and English
of policies that affect them is nothing new. language classes for sex workers. These
Rooted in traditionally moralistic and classes are useful not only for work with
stigmatising views of sex workers, this clients (for example, to negotiate services and
exclusion has more recently been shaped by prices and avoid miscommunication) but also
the conceptualisation by feminist thinkers if the sex worker decides to leave the industry
from the Global North of sex work as a and take up other work. All the organisations
form of violence against women, to which provide legal advice to sex workers, directly
women cannot meaningfully consent. Such or through referral, including in relation to
views have shaped anti-trafficking work disputes with clients and managers, or about
and reinforced the marginalisation of sex their immigration status. Several provide
workers, with hugely negative impacts information to new sex workers about safe
on their lives, work and well-being. areas for work, how to communicate and
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