Red Umbrella Campaign to Advocate for #SaferSexWork 

On International Sex Workers’ Day UCLA’s Global Lab for Research in Action Announces the Red Umbrella Campaign to Advocate for #SaferSexWork 

Los Angeles, CA – June 2, 2022 – On International Sex Workers’ Day today, UCLA’s Global Lab for Research in Action, in collaboration with advocacy organizations, activists and researchers is announcing the Red Umbrella Campaign. 

The Red Umbrella Campaign will advocate for #SaferSexWork, addressing the stigma that sex workers face through a data driven national social awareness campaign. Research has shown that sex workers have a 45% to 75% chance of experiencing workplace violence. However, it is not only physical and sexual violence that prevents sex workers from being safe, but also constraints accessing housing, healthcare, other forms of employment, and a myriad of basic human rights. We believe that everyone deserves to be safe at work, and that includes sex workers.

“Decades of research from around the world shows that the criminalization of sex work is what makes the work fundamentally unsafe – and impacts the safety of the wider community too,” says Janine N’jie David, co-founder and Deputy Director of UCLA’s Global Lab for Research in Action. “Sex work tends to be a taboo subject, despite being one of the oldest professions in the world, and public knowledge is understandably limited. But we shouldn’t allow our lack of understanding – or quite frankly, discomfort – prevent us from tackling challenging issues.” 

This campaign will amplify voices of individuals with lived experience in the sex trade in tandem with data collected from researchers across the country to inform the public on the dangers sex workers face due to criminalization on a daily basis, while also addressing stigma. “When I began sex work at age 18, it became apparent to me that the dangers I faced were perpetuated by criminalization and stigma more than the work itself.”, says Savannah Sly, a Global Lab Board Member. “Violent predators target sex workers because we work in isolation to avoid arrest and discrimination. The dangers are unnecessary and must be addressed.”

About UCLA Global Lab for Research in Action

UCLA Global Lab for Research in Action studies critical social justice issues faced by hard-to-reach populations worldwide. But, our work does not stop where the research ends. We continue to translate our findings into more digestible formats and amplify the insights to deepen public understanding and promote evidence-based policy.

The Red Umbrella Campaign, led by UCLA’s Global Lab, is a collaboration including Decriminalize Sex Work, the Woodhull Freedom Foundation, Old Pros and individual researchers and activists. 

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Media Contact

Janine N’jie David, co-founder & Deputy Director, UCLA’s Global Lab for Research in Action 

Email: jnd@luskin.ucla.edu

Phone: (310) 913 6229