1 Community Empowerment
It is crucial to note that community-led ( i . e . sex worker-led ) processes and organizations are not synonymous with generic community-based organizations ( CBOs ). In community-led organizations , power and decision-making lie in the hands of community members ( sex workers ), whereas in a CBO , power may reside only with some members of the community , or with non-community members who act as administrators . It is the self-determining and self-governing nature of an organization , and its commitment to pursue the goals that its own members have agreed upon , that make it a collective .
Box 1.3
Bringing sex workers together
• Organize group activities at safe spaces ( drop-in centres ) based on the interests of the group members .
• Plan activities for special occasions , such as the International Day to End Violence against Sex Workers ( 17 December ).
• Invite sex worker activists or community outreach workers from neighbouring areas to speak at a gathering of local sex workers .
Sex worker organizations come into being in various ways . Two primary ones are :
• growing out of a community empowerment process or other process supported by another organization , including national , regional or global sex worker-led networks
• sex workers independently forming an organization .
The advantage of the first is that the partner organization may be able to support the process through funding , the provision of space , assistance with activities and advocacy to remove any barriers . This support is often necessary and welcome and should include connecting the local group to existing national and regional sex worker-led networks . However , if a sex worker organization is to be a true collective , ownership must rest with the community , and its form and function should be based on the needs and priorities identified by its members . It is crucial that the outside partner understand that the organization needs to be given the freedom to find its own way .
In some cases , sex worker groups hire consultants to lead them through the process of forming an organization , or receive crucial support from one or two nongovernmental organization ( NGO ) employees . Alternatively , they may do it themselves with the help of a partner NGO ’ s lawyer , or with support from national or regional sex worker-led networks . An organization experienced in project management , financial management , monitoring and reporting , communication and fundraising can help build the capacity of sex workers by providing training and opportunities to practise skills .
1.2.4 Adapting to local needs and contexts
Sex workers face diverse legal , political , social and health environments . Sex work may be criminalized or an accepted occupation ; it may be predominantly establishment-based or street-based . Sex workers may be undocumented migrants , highly mobile or selling sex in their own locality . HIV programmes need to be sensitive to the diversity of cultures of people working in the sex industry . What it means to be part of a sex work “ community ” varies depending on the culture , ethnicity , language , location and socioeconomic position of the particular sex workers . As a result of these different contexts ,
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