Network of Sex Work Projects (NSWP)

Jo Doezema, Report of the General Meeting, Eastbourne, October 1998

Changes in the network

The co-ordination of the Network of Sex Workers Project moved to Shane in South Africa. The network has now been incorporated. In the past, it had been possible to work through local partnerships, facilitating support both quickly and easily, but informally. With incorporation, it would be possible to initiate work and projects, whilst maintaining local partnerships.

Geneva AIDS conference

Regional groups met at Geneva. There are plans to publish a Latin American edition and an African edition of Making Sex Work Safe (partnership between Southern and Eastern Africa). The Asia/Pacific network were preparing guidelines for ethical research.

Database

The network requested distribution of names and addresses within the European region, hoping to build links with the European network for HIV/STD prevention. This was agreed in principle at the steering committee and final general forum, although it is not yet clear whether local co-ordinators will focus especially on the self help organisation, or will also include key services and referrals.

In addition to this report, Jo and Cheryl Overs participated in a Europap forum on Thursday discussing how to support sex worker involvement at all levels of the programme: local, regional and European. Among the various contributions, it was noted:

Sex worker participation at European meetings would be valuable to peer efforts and networks of sex workers within Europe
New participants in networks often learned and offered more than those who had participated over a long period.