September 14, 2023, marks the fifth anniversary of Sex Worker Pride, a day honouring the strides of the sex worker rights movement and ongoing resistance. To celebrate, we are highlighting local organized efforts to advance sex worker rights in British Columbia.

The AESHA Project, led by CGSHE faculty members Dr. Shira Goldenberg & Dr. Andrea Krüsi, is a community-based research project that evaluates the impact of laws, policies and working conditions on sex workers’ safety, health and human rights. This year, we are showcasing the hard work of the AESHA Project’s community partners and other local sex worker-led projects.

“By Us, For Us” report launch

The By Us, For Us (BUFU) report is a, “100% sex worker-developed and sex worker-run report.” It sheds light on the, “unique needs and risks faced by sex workers in the Lower Mainland and Southern Vancouver Island.” This research project surveyed over 200 sex workers and was a collaboration between Health Initiative for Men, PACE Society and WISH Drop-In Centre Society.

Safer sex supplies for im/migrant women in sex work

The outreach team at SWAN Vancouver proudly distributes thousands of safer sex supplies to immigrant and migrant women engaged in sex work at massage businesses and apartments. This is the organization’s longest-running service and has a wide reach of 11 cities across the Lower Mainland.

11^th annual Red Umbrella March

Triple-X Workers Solidarity Association of B.C. hosted the 11th annual Red Umbrella March for sex work solidarity on June 10, 2023, in Vancouver. PACE Society co-sponsored the march and held the closing event, a BBQ + dance party for the community, in Victory Square.

Community consultation on bad date reporting

The BC Bad Date & Aggressor Reporting Project conducted a 6-month long community consultation to learn about sex workers’ experiences with bad date reporting and opinions on related issues. Learning from hundreds of sex workers across B.C., the consultation will help inform a robust province-wide bad date reporting system.

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