PLRI website launched on International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers

Welcome to the website of the Paulo Longo Research Initiative. We are launching the site on December 17, the Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers in support of sex worker organisations in dozens of countries who are demanding action to stop violence. This day is an opportunity to reflect on why quality research, linked to community action, is urgently needed to protect sex workers from violence and exploitation.

We are a group of sex workers, academics and human rights advocates committed to producing knowledge that will improve the human rights, health and well being of women, men and transgenders who sell sex. Sex workers from all over the world have long argued that criminal laws against sex work render them vulnerable to abuses, including unprotected sex and lack of access to services and justice. But more and more countries are criminalising sex work and sex workers organisations everywhere continue to deal with violence. PLRI aims to support those efforts by presenting evidence for effective, rights based policy and law reform.

The PLRI website will grow into a substantial library of resources about sex work in the context of human rights, economics, law, health, gender and sexuality, and migration. As it grows the site will increasingly showcase important research findings, host discussions among academics and sex workers and provide text and visual news about relevant events and publications. We are hoping it will be used by sex workers and their allies, health service providers, policy makers, social workers, human rights advocates and students to access information and evidence that drives real change.