UNES, member of RedTraSex, together with organizations PANAMBI and TATARENDY launched a literacy school for female sex workers and transgender people.

The project, which aims to raise the educational level of female sex workers in Asunción and the central department, is being run in partnership between UNES (Unidas en la Esperanza), PANAMBI, TATARENDY and the Ministry of Education and Culture of Paraguay.

«This literacy school came up when we found that many female sex workers and transgender people could not read or write, but they really wanted to do it. Then we ask the Ministry of Education to give us the possibility of bringing school to organizations, because we believe that being formed is key in order to defend our rights«, said Lucila Esquivel, president of UNES and member of the Directive Board of RedTraSex.

In Paraguay, the problem of illiteracy has a high percentage per capita, and generally people of low economic status are directly affected by the lack of access to schooling for poverty. There are adult education institutions where female sex workers could study, but «for reasons of work schedules, self-discrimination, low self-esteem and inefficient number of literacy schools with flexible hours, these women are unable to access literacy courses offered by the Ministry of Education in public schools«, said the promoters of the project.

Thus, thanks to the joint work of the Paraguayan government and above mentioned social organizations, over a period of 24 months, female sex workers who attend the course will complete their primary school and they will get an official title. The ones pushing this initiative dream to launch a similar program for Secondary School.

With a professional staff proposed by the Ministry of Education, female sex workers learn to read and write in a friendly and supportive context, which encourages creativity and self-confidence, with methodologies and flexible schedules, but with high academic standards.

After this first year of work, 25 female sex workers from Asunción and the Central Department will complete their studies of the first cycle of primary education. But the achievements are already visible: «Today many colleagues who did not write or read, write text messages to communicate and they continue studying. That’s a great honor for us«, said Lucila excited.

For all these women who recognized themselves as “subjects of rights”, the literacy course is one more tool to have real opportunities to access better living conditions.