2 Addressing Violence against Sex Workers
Programme monitoring data that rely on self-reported incidents of violence are sensitive to bias. It may therefore be challenging to interpret monitoring efforts that track increases or declines in reported incidents over time. Some forms of violence may be more likely to be reported when programme monitoring systems are established than others, and this will vary across different contexts over time. For example, in one setting, incidents of partner violence reported by sex workers increased as the intervention matured, which may have been due to sex workers feeling more empowered to recognize and report it as violence, or a consequence of“ backlash” violence as sex workers became more assertive in their relationships. Self-reporting of incidents to programme monitoring systems also depends on the level of trust and confidence sex workers have in programme staff and in the monitoring system, especially since the act of disclosure may endanger a sex worker’ s safety.
Another indicator for monitoring availability of post-rape care services that could be adapted for sex work programmes is:
• Number or percentage of service-delivery points providing appropriate medical, psychological and legal support for women and men who have been raped or who have experienced incest.
This indicator is included in the UNAIDS Unified Budget, Results and Accountability Framework( UBRAF) for measuring progress of countries in addressing sexual violence in the context of the AIDS response. 8
2.4 Resources and further reading
Resources
1. Mee Nestam: Strengthening Partnerships for Public Health. Hyderabad, India: India HIV / AIDS Alliance, 2012. http:// www. allianceindia. org / publications / 51625-Mee % 20Nestam % 20Book. pdf
2. Sex work, violence and HIV: A guide for programmes with sex workers. United Kingdom: International HIV / AIDS Alliance, 2008. www. aidsdatahub. org / dmdocuments / Sex _ Work _ Violence _ and _ HIV _ A _ Guide _ for _ Programmes _ with _ Sex _ Workers _ 2007. pdf. pdf
3. Community Led Crisis Response Systems— A Handbook. New Delhi: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 2013. http:// docs. gatesfoundation. org / no-search / Documents / Community % 20Led % 20Crisis % 20Response % 20( Web). pdf
4. Safer Work. Marseille, France: INDOORS Project, Autres Regards, 2010. http:// www. indoors-project. eu / documents / saferwork _ english. pdf
5. Work Wise: Sex worker handbook on human rights, health and violence. Cape Town, South Africa: Sex Worker Empowerment, Advocacy and Training( SWEAT), 2004. www. sweat. org. za
6. Gender Strategies in Concentrated Epidemics: Case study series. AIDSTAR-One, The U. S. President’ s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and United States Agency for International Development. www. aidstar-one. com / focus _ areas / gender / marps _ concentrated _ epidemics _ series
7. Spratt K. 2011. Integrating PEPFAR Gender Strategies into HIV Programs for Most-at-Risk Populations. Arlington, VA: AIDSTAR-One, Task Order 1. www. aidstar-one. com / sites / default / files / AIDSTAR _ One _ Report _ IntegratingGenderStrategies _ MARPs. pdf
8. Responding to intimate partner violence and sexual violence against women: WHO clinical and policy guidelines. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2013. http:// www. who. int / reproductivehealth / publications / violence / 9789241548595 / en / index. html
8 In UBRAF, this indicator is defined as the percentage of countries reporting availability and use of one or more service-delivery points that provide appropriate medical, psychological and legal support to women and men who have been raped or experienced incest. Use of the number or percentage depends on whether a facility-based survey has been conducted in the intervention area as a baseline.
38