Everyone deserves to be safe at work. Including sex workers. It is thought that there are more sex workers in the United States than female cashiers. While hard to estimate, we believe 1 million sex workers compared to 720k cashiers.
Decades of research from around the world show that the criminalization of sex work makes the work fundamentally unsafe – and impacts the safety of the wider community too.
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 – to prevent us from tackling challenging issues.
For all these reasons, the UCLA Global Lab for Research in Action is leading a national social awareness campaign to educate the public on what prevents sex workers from being safe at work. We will promote solutions for advancing #SaferSexWork and we’d love for you to join us to raise awareness and take action!
Since sex work is a human rights issue, a labor rights issue, a public health issue, and a criminal justice issue, we invite ally organizations, researchers, and policymakers, to join us in participating in the Red Umbrella Campaign. To date, we are thrilled to be joined by:
The “Red Umbrella Campaign” will launch in the fall and culminate on International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers on December 17th. We will use data and storytelling as the primary teaching tools. In the meantime, register to learn more and find out how to get involved!
Sex work involves the exchange of sexual services for money or goods between two mutually consenting adults. This work includes the entire field of sexual services including exotic dancing, escort services, web-based work, and prostitution. Sex workers are also mothers, students, neighbors, colleagues, and friends, yet are often not thought of as so.
Sex work is often incorrectly conflated with human trafficking, which involves the threat or use of force, abduction, deception, or other forms of coercion for the purpose of labor or sexual exploitation. Critically, there is no mutual consent between the trafficker and the trafficked party. Human trafficking is a violation of human rights. Sex work, however, is a non-coercive transaction between consenting adults.
To learn more take a look at the following posts:
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eberrick2021-12-13 14:54:342022-06-01 14:58:46Regulating the “Oldest Profession”: A Conversation on Policy Approaches to Sex Work with Manisha Shah
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atrivedi2021-10-26 15:00:352022-06-01 15:06:15Regulating Sex Work
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atrivedi2021-10-18 16:14:482022-06-02 00:10:10Regulating Sex Markets: Lessons Learned and Policy Implications
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Global Lab2021-06-07 09:45:202022-05-28 18:17:19Global Lab for Research in Action Calls for Decriminalization of Sex Work
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atrivedi2021-06-04 10:22:342022-05-28 18:17:27Regulating Sex Markets: Policy Considerations
Red: criminalize sex work (shades of red representing selling, buying, and third parties)
Yellow: legalized sex work
Green: decriminalized sex work
View the full list of countries and check out the complete interactive map created by the Global Network of Sex Work Projects.
“I Wish…” is an element of the Red Umbrella Campaign designed to amplify the personal voices of those with lived experience. The narratives will help us all better understand what prevents sex workers from being safe – in all its forms – due to the criminalization of their work. The quotes also provide insight into personal identities to challenge the stigmatization sex workers face. Below you’ll find a few examples and you’ll be seeing more of these in the fall.
The “Red Umbrella Campaign” will launch in the fall and culminate on International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers on December 17th. We will use data and storytelling as the primary teaching tools. In the meantime, register to learn more and find out how to get involved!
We are calling for affiliates, allies, and advocates to join us on our journey to #SaferSexWork! Whether you identify as a sex worker or not, welcome, and thank you for being here. The Red Umbrella Campaign aims to center sex workers and their voices as they advocate for the decriminalization of sex work. Please support us by amplifying their voices and the evidence that supports the decriminalization of sex work.
Sex workers and sex work organizations have been advocating for safer sex work for decades. The Red Umbrella Campaign wants to amplify your voices, your stories, and your lived realities. Thank you for all you’ve shared with researchers over the years to help build a body of data that directs us to clear solutions for #SaferSexWork. Now let’s amplify narratives and data together!
Sex work is a human rights issue, a labor rights issue, a public health issue, a racial justice issue, a disability rights issue, an immigration rights issue, a housing rights issue, a criminal justice issue, a reproductive rights issue, and the list goes on. Allies: join the Red Umbrella Campaign and help us advocate for #SaferSexWork.
We need your help to de-stigmatize sex work: we need your voice, your platforms, and your reach to amplify the Red Umbrella Campaign content and help shift the dialogue around sex work and promote #SaferSexWork. Join us as an advocate!
The “Red Umbrella Campaign” will launch in the fall and culminate on International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers on December 17th. We will use data and storytelling as the primary teaching tools. In the meantime, register to learn more and find out how to get involved!
MEDIA ALERT: December 13th, 2022
Red Umbrella Campaign to Advocate for #SaferSexWork