Paths to empowerment: A review of female sex work organizations in the promotion of civil liberties and sexual health

Issues: Women's empowerment is vital to overcome sexual exploitation and gender inequities. Female sex workers are particularly vulnerable to social inequalities and poorer health outcomes, such as high rates of HIV/AIDS. To “fix” the sex work problem some societies have criminalized prostitution, but research of some feminists and public health professionals has demonstrated that this strategy is less effective than community organizing in promoting the health and rights of women in the commercial sex industry. Description: This critical review compares community organizations of sex workers worldwide by examining efforts to empower female sex workers to address social inequalities, improve sexual negotiation skills, improve health, and manage the sociocultural and physical borders that marginalize them. It explores different approaches to protection and empowerment that groups of female sex workers have taken in countries such as Mexico, Brazil, India, and Thailand. Lessons Learned: Despite trends to abolish sex work, there have been success stories in several countries promoting the rights and health of sex workers through social organizing, and empowerment. By developing a sense of sisterhood, organizations serve to empower women and provide them with tools to take action to protect their livelihoods and health. Recommendations

Community organizations are powerful tools to protect the rights of female sex workers. A community mobilization approach to sex work that focuses on the social vulnerabilities female sex workers experience and capitalizes on their strengths is a preferred approach to protecting their lives and reducing susceptibility to poor health outcomes such as HIV/AIDS.