UNES of Paraguay and RedTrabSex of Ecuador organized the first regional workshops for consultants that will guide the study of incidence and political participation.
Starting from the idea that the existing legal and regulatory frameworks and their implementation in Latin America and the Caribbean increase vulnerability to HIV/AIDS, the study aims to know the regulatory framework on sex work and HIV/AIDS for female sex workers and identify opportunities for advocacy.
Under the draft submitted to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the study serves several objectives, including:
-Describe the legal and regulatory framework affecting sex work.
-Describe the legal and regulatory framework affecting the conditions under which sex work is exerted.
-Know the application of the legal framework related to the exercise of sex work.
-Describe the legal and regulatory framework on HIV/AIDS.
-Understand and analyze the legislative process to identify opportunities for promoting advocacy initiatives.
-Know female sex workers access to law and justice.
The whole activity, beyond their specific objectives, seeks “to install” capacity in the national organizations of female sex workers, being that RedTraSex is a network of female sex workers for female sex workers.
Therefore the consultants will work with the organization of their country, ensuring that fellows are part of the study, both in planning and in the review of preliminary results. Study’s interviewers will be female sex workers who will be trained and guided in their work by each technician hired for the study.
In terms of scope, female sex workers (who work on the street and in indoor establishments) will be interviewed for the research as well as other key informants: referents of the organization, experts on legal and regulatory framework for sex work, persons responsible for apply the laws, authorities and representatives of organizations working in HIV prevention and defense of the human rights of PLWHA.
Survey results will be available later this year and we hope they are inputs for promoting advocacy initiatives in 15 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean where the network works today.
