Tool's Title
Advocacy Guides for the Sex Workers [➦]

Languages
✎ French
✎ English

Target Audiences
• Health, social services and education professionals
• People working in the sex work field

Types
• Informative Brochure
• Practical Guide 

Duration
N/A

Conception by
Canadian Alliance for Sex Work Law Reform

Release Date and Last Update
2014 (no update as of the review date)

Description 
Many sex workers and their allies from around the world educate others with legislators and policy makers. It can be done by including communities with people who use drugs and people living with HIV – there is a wealth of skills, thoughts and lessons to share. Historically, these communities have had very little access to decision-making powers and to formal means of bringing forward claims and requests, and they are increasingly committed to dialogue with those who have decision-making powers.

Requests for information about the parliamentary process and changes in prostitution laws were in high demand in 2014.

The Alliance has created two advocacy guides for our own needs and those of other sex workers and allies to better navigate though the process of implementing Bill C-36 and to become involved and engaged in awareness raising, action or advocacy.

These guides were inspired by other popular education initiatives led by sex workers with legislators and policy makers, when available. For example, “The Red Umbrella Project’s Speak Up: Doing Legislative Advocacy for Change in New York” (April 2012).

Our advocacy guides have been designed specifically for the needs of sex workers, their allies and the public.

These guides have provided empowerment opportunities for all participants and opportunities to interact with the decision-making systems and individuals who create and enforce laws. These two guides help demystify the political process and also engage marginalized communities to use the already existing knowledge that we have access to and that comes from other areas of our lives, such as sex work! These guides were distributed in both English and French online, on mailing lists, by mail or in person, in PDF format.

Guide #1 : Sex Work on the Hill: A Guide to Getting Involved in Legislative Processes that Impact on Our Lives

Guide #2 : Sex Work on the Hill - Part II: Appearing Before Committees and Senate Briefs

This second guide has been adapted to the processes of a bill that then becomes law, and it has highlighted various ways in which the general public could participate in the legislative development process. In particular, it highlighted the commitment to House of Commons committees and the Senate on legal and constitutional issues.

*** Note that this description was written by Chez Stella and was translated by the review team. ***

Offical Reference
Canadian Alliance for Sex Work Law Reform (n.d.). Advocacy Guides. Retrieved from http://sexworklawreform.com/advocacy-guides/

To Access the Tool
http://sexworklawreform.com/advocacy-guides/