Tag: research

SWAI Research Engagement Policy

November 28, 2022

Research Policy

SWAI is frequently contacted by academics, organisations, and individual researchers within and outside of Ireland to support their research by identifying participants, promoting research, facilitating peer interviews, and participating in advisory panels. 

We are aware of the sex worker community being over-researched by non-peers without outcomes that improve sex workers’ lives. SWAI is concerned about the fatigue and potential for increased poor mental health outcomes for sex workers participating in interviews, with little or no appropriate follow-up offered by professionals.

We recognise that there may be occasional variations to the rule, however where there is capacity, we shall be prioritising our labour/knowledge/network access towards research requests that are conducted by sex worker researchers and concerning topics which support the objectives of a) improving the working and living conditions of sex workers, b) progressing our work to eliminate stigma and discrimination, and c) increasing access to support services

If you would like to contact us regarding your research, please complete our criteria of assessment for requests of SWAI engagement with research:

  1. Do you have lived experience in the sex industry (all responses will be treated with confidentiality, more details below)?
  2. Have you already secured funding for your research? If yes, please specify.
  3. What are the needs of the research?
    • Do you want SWAI to promote?
    • Do you want SWAI to recruit participants? If yes, what is the agreed participant payment?
    • Do you want SWAI to recruit peer researchers? If yes, what is the reimbursement of labour to SWAI?
    • Do you want SWAI staff to participate in advisory panels? If yes, how many hours will be required?
    • Other requirements, please detail. 
  4. How does the research topic align with SWAI’s values and Mission Statement?

All applications received will be confidential in accordance with our policy of not ‘outing’ sex workers. We will respond to your request based on the information you have provided and our availability. Please note that our staff work part-time. It is recommended that you do not rely solely on SWAI participation as we have very limited capacity to approve requests.

Press statement: Demand for sex work has not decreased in Northern Ireland

September 18, 2019

Client criminalisation is not fit for purpose, has has been met with an increase in sex trafficking and is actively harmed the mental health of sex workers in Northern Ireland, according to a new report from the Department of Justice.

Kate McGrew, current sex worker and spokesperson for the Sex Workers Alliance Ireland (SWAI) said today “This report commissioned by the Department of Justice shows that there has not been a decrease in demand for sex work since the introduction of client criminalisation (also known as the Nordic Model) in Northern Ireland in 2015. Instead, we have seen an increase in sex trafficking by 26% and the health of sex workers put at risk.”

She continues “Sex workers in Ireland tend to work both jurisdictions so a lot of the findings in this report will be applicable to the Republic of Ireland. If the purpose of the law was to decrease demand it has failed. If the purpose of the law was to help sex workers it has failed. In the north, it led to massive increase in advertising (on one site alone over 1700 new ads) and demand (in one jurisdiction by 134%) and a 200% increase threatening behaviour in clients. In the south, it led to an increase of violent crime against sex workers by 92% The law is a failure on the entire island of Ireland.

Northern Ireland was the only region that introduced the Nordic Model that also conducted baseline research so this research must be taken very seriously. 

Sex worker rights activists fought for the liaison officers to remain in public protection, not enforcement. This has resulted in sex workers in Northern Ireland are very appreciative of the work that the PSNI liaison officers do. The PSNI were vocal about their opposition to the law. They knew it would make their work more difficult, and that is reflected in their policing. Gardaí have an increasingly antagonistic approach to sex workers since the change in the law in 1993. Policing consensual sex work does not reduce trafficking and is a waste of resources. 

The law has put the mental health of sex workers at risk by causing an increase in threatening behaviour. This was predicted by sex workers, who were ignored during the process of introducing the laws. Susan Huschke’s research showed clear on the opposition from sex workers (98% were against the change in law). The law has increased our marginalisation and stigmatisation. We deserve better than this.

We want full decriminalisation of sex work on the island of Ireland so that we are safe, healthy and have laws that protect us.