Feature News

Press release: No evidence that sex workers were listened to

March 25, 2025

Actually listen to sex workers written in marker on canvas

“The review of the law governing sex work in Ireland is not worth the paper it’s written on”, says Linda Kavanagh, spokesperson of the Sex Workers Alliance Ireland.

Part 4 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) 2017 was due to be reviewed in 2020 but due to myriad delays, it was not released until yesterday. Linda Kavanagh continued “From the start, this review has been conducted in the most unethical and frustrating way possible.

The terms of reference for this review state that the review will assess “the impact of the operation of that section on the safety and well-being of persons who engage in sexual activity for payment.” There is no evidence that active sex workers support this law in this report. No weight has been given to the voices of currently active sex workers in this review and there is scant evidence that sex workers were properly engaged in this process. The onus is on the Department of Justice to do this and SWAI raised this concern during forum discussions.

From the initial survey to this final report, the review has taken the stance that the law is in and of itself a positive thing. SWAI fundamentally disagrees with this position and is supported by extensive evidence that sex workers are harmed by these laws.

“There is no way to police the purchase of sex without surveilling sex workers. This review supports wasting Garda resources and increasing surveillance powers. Is the Department of Justice going to ignore how Gardaí have abused their powers? Where is the Department of Justice commissioned ‘I Must Be Some Person: Accounts from

Street Sex Workers in Ireland’ report?

Minister O’Callaghan has admitted that demand for the purchase of sex hasn’t been reduced, so we ask, how can this report say that the law has made progress towards its objectives? Our concerns about the brothel-keeping laws, echoed by the sex workers who were spoken to, were dismissed because “the official statistics identify a shift away from the targeting of the seller to the purchaser”. Only 15 people have been prosecuted for purchasing sex! This also overlooks the fact that brothel-keeping raids and welfare checks to disrupt sex workers don’t end in convictions, but the consequences for sex workers are severe. Gardaí are still targeting sex workers in this way.

Where is the evidence that the law has reduced trafficking? Where is the proof that the law has removed barriers to sex workers accessing social infrastructure or paths to justice? Does it show that sex workers now increasingly report to the Gardaí when they want to report abuse? Does it show that violence against sex workers has decreased under the law? The answer to all of this is NO!

For seven years we have listed how the law has affected the safety of sex workers. Condoms are used as evidence that sex work has occurred, flying in the face of HIV prevention plans and highlighting the hypocrisy of the government. Sex workers are forced to work alone to work legally, which is not something any other worker is forced to do.

Government policy leads people into sex work and then it ensures sex workers are less safe. Instead of offering sex workers criminalisation of their income and non-existent resources like the “two dedicated phone lines for direct contact with An Garda Síochána on a 24-hour basis” sex workers should be listened to about the reality of living and working under the law. Where are the calls for resourcing sex workers to learn about their rights?

State bodies have taken a cowardly approach to sex work. Sex workers were written out of policies and strategy documents. Sex work is framed as gender-based violence instead of an economic activity, which ignores the autonomy of sex workers, removes their labour rights and neglects male workers altogether. Sex worker-led organisations are denied funding. This myopic approach creates a feedback loop that means that the state is praised for actions by organisations that do not engage with sex workers in meaningful ways.

The law has failed on its own terms, that much is clear. What isn’t clear is how the government and the Department of Justice can continue to ignore the health and safety of a population that it recognises as vulnerable.

Can you help SWAI to continue our vital work?

February 4, 2025

28 Days for SWAI Donate to the '28 Days for SWAI' Fundraising Challenge

Donate to our crowdfund here

We’re going to say it to you straight. We want to be transparent. SWAI is going to run out of money by April of this year.

Despite great efforts, SWAI has no secured or expected income to fund our core work due to being viewed as too radical for publicly critiquing the Nordic Model, government, and policing. We reject the conflation of sex work with human trafficking and gender-based violence by so-called feminist organisations and refuse to uphold these injustices against sex workers.

Funding for sex worker-led organising is incredibly hard to find and we experience a very hostile funding climate in Ireland due to sex work being criminalised and conflated with human trafficking, both in public opinion and in legislation implementing the Nordic model since 2017. There are very few organisations willing to fund our work. We need your support.

We’re asking our allies to do the 28 Days for SWAI challenge, a fundraiser for SWAI that will take place in February. As a team, we are aiming to raise €10,000 altogether to fund SWAI’s vital work.

We have been fighting hard to raise the voice of sex workers, and recent work includes the first edition of our sex worker-created Zine, the establishment of the SWAI Allies Network, funding from ESWA to research the housing needs of sex workers, meeting with other sex worker organisations and a politician in Westminster, rollout of our hugely successful Sex Worker Awareness Training superseding our target, numerous media interviews and press releases, and an incredibly successful creative event in collaboration with A4 Sounds in Dublin in 2023.

It is vital that sex workers have a voice in Ireland. Recent research has shown how harshly sex workers feel stigma in Ireland. In recent years sex workers have been murdered, stalked, harassed and assaulted. SWAI is still the first point of call for sex workers who have been evicted, who have experienced violence at the hands of clients or the Gardaí, who have been turned away from sexual violence, domestic violence and mental health organisations and sex workers who need signposting to other services. Sex workers return to us again and again because we are judgement-free and meet them where they are at. Our focus in the past few years has been to work with well-funded organisations so that they provide stigma-free services.

We are worried that the review of the law regarding sex work will be pushed out until we run out of money, and we will be unable to coordinate a response. We are concerned that without support for SWAI, the voices of sex workers will disappear in Ireland. There will be no alternative voice in Ireland expressing the wants and needs of sex workers.

If you are interested in participating in our 28 Days for SWAI challenge please let us know and we can send you the information. Alternatively, you can donate to the crowdfund directly. We plan to launch some merch in the near future.

We rely on you, our supporters, to ensure our work continues. Can you help?

Press release: Garda and court stats are proof that sex work laws are a complete failure

October 18, 2024

Statistics published by the Minister for Justice on the 8th of October demonstrate that sex work laws are failing on their own terms. Meanwhile, sex workers in Ireland have faced increased violence, threats, murder and stigma.

“Who exactly are these laws for?” asked Linda Kavanagh, spokesperson for the Sex Workers Alliance Ireland (SWAI). “The statistics confirm that the law is not reducing the demand for sex work. The number of summons increases year on year. Since its introduction, only a handful of clients have been prosecuted. This shows the law is not fit for purpose.”

“We do not advocate for the prosecution of clients because we know, and evidence has repeatedly shown, that any form of criminalisation of sex work harms sex workers themselves. This focus on punishing clients has done nothing to improve the situation for sex workers and has actively made things worse, as we warned when the law was debated.”

“The 2017 Sexual Offences Act was introduced with a promise to shift the burden of criminality away from those selling sexual services and onto those purchasing them. The reality, however, is that sex workers continue to operate in a climate of fear, where they are vulnerable to violence and exploitation, precisely because of the law. SWAI has long warned that the criminalisation of clients would drive the industry further underground, making it more dangerous for sex workers.”

“The figures released confirm what SWAI has been saying for years: the law is not protecting sex workers. Instead, it has created a hostile environment where clients and sex workers themselves are deterred from reporting violence or exploitation for fear of prosecution, leaving sex workers more isolated and at risk. Brothel-keeping laws are written so broadly that sex workers who are working together for safety are prosecuted and jailed, as we saw in 2019.”

“Despite its original, misguided intent to protect vulnerable individuals, the figures indicate that the law has failed to meet its objectives. Year after year, the US Trafficking in Person’s report highlights Ireland’s failure to prosecute traffickers and identify trafficking victims.”

“You only have to look at advertising sites to see the number of people in sex work has not fallen. Again we ask, who are these laws for?”

“While the delusional Act was supposed to allow sex workers to report violence without fear of prosecution, this so-called protection has not translated into meaningful support.”

“Recent research has shown that sex workers in Ireland feel stigma more profoundly than their counterparts in Scotland and New Zealand. We have also reported on stalking and harassment of sex workers in Kerry, Galway and Carlow in the past week. These are just two of many examples of how the law has made sex workers more vulnerable, more at risk, and less safe”

“The statistics speak for themselves—this law is failing sex workers. The criminalisation of clients has made our community more vulnerable, more at risk, and less safe. We need to listen to sex workers and the realities they face. It’s time for the government to act, decriminalise sex work, and provide real protections for those in sex work.”

Press Release: Current sex work law did nothing to stop brutal rapist jailed for 18 years

July 30, 2024

A serial predator is now off the streets thanks to brave sex workers coming forward, against all odds

Yesterday Mr. Justice Tony Hunt sentenced Aaron Barwell (29) to 18 years in prison for the rape and assault of three sex workers.

Nordic Model Murders Sex Workers, handwritten on cloth with black and red markers

Mardi Kennedy, coordinator of the Sex Workers Alliance Ireland (SWAI) commented on the case today. “By noting that ladies who pursue this type of activity might be less tempted to bring it further, we feel the judge is acknowledging that the current sex work laws in Ireland have pushed sex workers away from paths to justice.”

She continues “Less than 1% of sex workers report crimes against them to the Gardaí, compared to 90% of the general population who have trust in Gardaí. We applaud these brave women who came forward to ensure that a predator known to the sex worker community has been jailed. But we must note that many sex working victims do not feel they can report to Gardaí.”

Linda Kavanagh, spokesperson for SWAI also said “The details of these abhorrent crimes show how the law has forced sex workers to deprioritise their own safety. In all of these cases, Aaron Barwell gave a false address which, as the judge notes, shows forward planning for his crimes.

Client criminalisation and laws that prevent sex workers from working together for safety or hiring a security guard, did absolutely nothing to stop this predator. This case highlights the urgent need for better protections and legal reforms to ensure the safety and rights of sex workers in Ireland and underscores the severe consequences of neglecting these needs and not listening to sex workers.

The current Nordic model of client criminalisation has proven detrimental to sex workers’ safety. Research and lived experiences have shown that these laws push the industry underground, increasing the risk of violence and exploitation.

Do we need to remind people that a sex worker was murdered just last year in Limerick? Everywhere the Nordic model has been implemented, violence against sex workers has increased. Client criminalisation forces sex workers to prioritise client safety over their own, leading to riskier behaviours and working conditions.”

Decriminalisation is the only viable solution to protect sex workers. This would reduce stigma, allow sex workers to work together for safety, perform their own risk assessments and facilitate better access to health and support services. The current government policies push people into sex work through economic hardship and then ensure they are not safe by criminalising their clients and working conditions.

Sex workers deserve better than laws that put them in harm’s way. They need to be heard and included in the policy-making process that affects their lives. We cannot trust the law review that is being unethically finalised by the Department of Justice.

We want to reach out to these sex workers and offer a listening ear and support.”

1 year on, Irish state and Gardaí don’t care about the murder of a sex worker

April 4, 2024

Anniversary of Geila Ibram’s Murder Highlights Continued Neglect of Sex Workers’ Safety by Irish Government

As we approach the first anniversary of the tragic murder of Geila Ibram, a sex worker in Limerick, the Sex Workers Alliance Ireland (SWAI) berates the Gardaí for continued lack of contact, while violent offenders prey on this community.

Linda Kavanagh, spokesperson for SWAI said “We recently learned through the media that another predator is preying on sex workers in Ireland. We have had no contact with the Gardaí about this, despite our attempts to open up lines of communication recently. We can confirm that Ugly Mugs, a safety app used by sex workers, was also not warned. Outdoor workers, such as street workers, are sitting ducks while the Gardaí refuse to use what little safety networks sex workers have to keep them safe. Gardaí pose as clients and lie to sex workers to get access to them, under the guise of so-called welfare checks, but refuse to warn them of dangerous attackers operating in the area. No wonder less than 1% of sex workers report crimes against them to the Gardaí, compared to 81% of the general population who have trust in Gardaí. ”

Mardi Kennedy, Coordinator of SWAI condemns the Irish government’s continued neglect of sex workers’ safety and well-being. “Geila’s murder stands as a grim reminder of the dangers faced by sex workers under the Nordic Model of client criminalisation, which prioritises ideology over evidence and endangers the lives of those it claims to protect.

Despite repeated warnings from sex workers and allies during the debates surrounding the introduction of the Nordic Model in 2015-2016, the government has failed to acknowledge the real consequences of this legislation. The Nordic Model, implemented in 2017, has only exacerbated violence against sex workers, as evidenced by Geila Ibram’s tragic death and the ongoing harassment, threats, and violence faced by sex workers across Ireland.”

SWAI demands immediate action from the government to address the urgent concerns facing sex workers in Ireland. Ministerial refusal to engage with SWAI and other stakeholders, coupled with the farcical review process of sex work laws conducted by the Department of Justice, reflects a blatant disregard for the voices and safety of sex workers. The delay, lack of transparency, and failure to include active sex workers in the review process raise serious questions about the government’s commitment to understanding the impact of these laws.

Mardi continues “In areas where reform is needed, the government has a strong track record of bringing in independent experts, and these experts have produced groundbreaking and change-making reports. As a matter of principle and in the pursuit of good governance, we demand that the Department of Justice reverse its decision to finalise the sex work law review in-house. It sets an alarming precedent that will have disturbing effects for many other marginalised groups.”

Linda added “The government’s refusal to listen to sex workers and its prioritisation of ideology over evidence and research is both unfathomable and dangerous. Geila Ibram’s murder should have been a wake-up call, but instead, it seems to have fallen on deaf ears. How many more sex workers must suffer or die before the government takes meaningful action and decriminalises sex work?”

In addition to the ongoing threats and violence faced by sex workers, the criminalisation of sex work exacerbates mental health challenges, housing insecurity, financial precarity, and isolation within the sex worker community. SWAI calls for the decriminalisation of sex work as a crucial step towards ensuring the safety, rights, and dignity of sex workers in Ireland.

As we mark the anniversary of Geila Ibram, SWAI urges the Irish government to prioritise the safety, well-being, and rights of sex workers by ending the harmful criminalisation of sex work and engaging meaningfully with sex workers in policy decisions that impact their lives.

Belfast Coffee shromáždění

July 20, 2015

Emily velmi laskavě nabídl hostit naše první Belfast Coffee Gathering v květnu a my jsme právě měli druhý v červenci. Nejen, že jsme si výběr kávy, čaje nebo squash, ale také Emily se zemřít pro čerstvě upečené koláče, že zcela zničil můj jídelníček, jak oni byli tak morish! Ten, kdo si myslí, že doprovod nemá žádný jiný talent, opravdu nemají tušení!

Místo konání je velmi diskrétní a poměrně snadno se najde. Má spoustu prostoru a doufejme, že budeme moci nabídnout více než čaj a kávu v budoucnu, s možná některé holistické a terapeutické služby, opět pomocí talentů sexuálních pracovníků navštěvují.

První setkání mělo velký dostavit se většinou místní sexuální dělníci se obrátili. Prosím, buďte ujištěni, že je to všechno anonymní a nikdo nemá říkat, kdo jsou nebo kde pracují atd. Jsme tam na podporu navzájem a chatovat o čemkoli, co se naše fantazie. Nemusí to souviset s prací. Nicméně, při této příležitosti jsme byli všichni znepokojeni probíhající změny zákona a jak to může ovlivnit naši bezpečnost a změnit způsob, jakým pracujeme. Bylo také dobré vidět, jak jsme všichni pracovali jinak a dát si navzájem tipy a nápady obecně.

Pro mě to bylo krásné setkat se s dalšími místními dívkami pracujícími v této oblasti a vědět, že jsem nebyl sám. Jedním z problémů s tím, že nezávislý sexuální pracovník, je to, že nejste povzbuzováni k práci společně a často je pocit, že je lepší, aby si sami sebe a udržet svůj nos na zem, ale přitom, že jste také izolovat sami a ne vždy dělat věci, nejlepší způsob, jak budete muset pracovat, jak si jít dál. Jen poslouchám tyto ostatní dámy potvrdil, kde jsem šel vpravo a dal mi jídlo pro myšlení na oblastech své práce, které jsem hledal na měnící se. Dal mi důvěru, aby se tyto změny a vidět, jak oni pracovali. Také mi připomněl, že někdy to, co funguje pro jednoho, nefunguje pro jiné, takže se nemusíte bát, pokud se věci potřebují změnit znovu.

Další věc, která se mi líbila a cítil se ujistil, byla naprostá rozmanitost mezi námi. Všichni jsme přišli z úplně jiného prostředí a byli všichni pracují v různých způsobech. Z nějakého důvodu si lidé myslí, že všichni sexuální pracovníci pocházejí ze stejné formy, a to není případ. Dokonce se zdálo, že jsme často měli velmi odlišné klienty příliš. To může být z mnoha důvodů, ale i v denní době pracujeme může udělat hluboký rozdíl. Je to opravdu dělá vás zajímalo o tomto stereo typu vzhledem k sexuálním pracovníkům a jen to, jak velmi z kontaktu média jsou a ne kvůli nevědomosti, ale proto, že zoufale chtějí držet na tomto stereo typu. Z mé znalosti BBC mají rozhovory alespoň tři z nás přítomen v této kavárně ráno a nikdo z nás v souladu s tímto obrazem, a přesto se stále používají, ne oni manipulují s cílem použít, jak si vzpomínám jeden rozhovor Laura Lee dal měl obraz ji město Hala s tvrzením, že ona byla ' hledá podnikání ', což ona zřejmě nebyl, protože ona není venkovní pracovník a byl pózuje pro obraz pro rozhovor. Není na čase, aby ukázali realitu a zastavili bičování mrtvého koně?

Věřím, že naše příští setkání bude na podzim a já se opravdu těším na to. To je jedinečná příležitost setkat se s lidmi, kteří vědí, a pochopit, jak izolovat tuto práci může být a možnost sdílet naše zkušenosti, nebo jen mluvit o ceně ryb. Pokud někdo čte to myslí na účast, prosím, dostat do kontaktu a podrobnosti o příštím zasedání bude věnována vám blíže k času.

Kate

ICRSE konference

June 7, 2015

Mezi 4. a 6. června 2015 SWAI zúčastnila konference prostitutek a podporuje z 8 evropských zemí. Akce pořádané ICRSE se konalo k 40 výročí protestů Lyon kde prostitutky obsadil Nizier Église Saint, aby se domáhat svých práv a skoncovat s policejní šikanou. Událost, vnímána jako začátek moderní Evropská sex pracovník hnutí je nyní označen každý rok mezinárodní Sex zaměstnanci den oslavil 2 června.

Letos opět prostitutky shromáždily na ulicích Francie poptávka práva a spravedlnosti

* Chceme plnou dekriminalizaci

* Žádné kriminalizace našich klientů

* Pracovní práva jak je uvedeno na jiné pracovníky

* Právo pracovat v bezpečném prostředí

* Konec policejní šikanou

* K uveden plný agentura a dovolil mluvit samy za sebe

V 40 letech od Lyon protesty prostitutek se stal více organizované, tvořící skupin, kolektivů a odbory. Navzdory tomu však stále čelíme příliš mnoho diskriminaci, stigma a nedostatek podpory.

V Irsku a Francii sex pracovníci čelí zákony kriminalizace své klienty – zákony, které bylo prokázáno, že způsobují stigma a zvýšit násilí.

V Nizozemsku a Německu sex pracovníci čelí represivní legislativu a nadměrné regulaci. V Amsterdamu 100s pohlaví zaměstnanců a jejich stoupenci vzali do ulic na protest proti uzavření oken v červených luceren proti vůli zaměstnanců a zbavují je bezpečná místa pro práci.

Také v Německu nové zákony v plánu zavést povinné zdravotní prohlídky, což je v rozporu s doporučeními OSN AIDS.

V Norsku sexu jsou zaměstnanci vyhodili z jejich domovů policií pod vhodně titulovaný "operace bez domova". Také čelí zvýšené násilí a sex přistěhovalců včetně z EHP čelí nucené deportace.

SWAI byl hrdý na to, stát se našimi kolegy pracovníky v Paříži a mluvit s jedním hlasem:

Chceme skoncovat s stigmami a skoncovat s kriminalizace a s respektováním lidských a pracovních práv.

První máj

June 3, 2015

Května den se slaví po celé Evropě jako mezinárodní den pracujících.

Jeden den byly tradičně slavíme, pracovníků a poptávka spravedlivé zacházení a práva od našich zaměstnavatelů a vlády.

Letos poprvé SWAI zúčastnila března May Day v Dublinu.

Šli jsme bok po boku s ostatními pracovníky, slaví naše profese a žádá o našich práv.

Prvomájové oslavy v Irsku a jinde, kde jsou obecně vést politicky levicový skupinami a odbory. Tyto skupiny mají tradičně bojoval za pracovní práva pro pracovníky a obzvláště zranitelné pracovníky, kteří jsou vystaveni riziku vykořisťování.

Nicméně existuje jedna skupina zaměstnanců, které odborové svazy zejména nechat v Irsku – sexuální pracovníci.

Odborové hnutí v Irsku byl členem TORL. Svazy z elektrikářů zdravotních sester se vyslovil proti práv sexuálních pracovníků a pracovnic.

Vskutku ICTU (irské Kongres odborových svazů) předložila dokument k soudci oddělení konzultace o prostituci, říká, že

"prostituci nelze považovat za práci"

S tímto jeden řádek je The ICTU odepření práv 100 ze sexuálních pracovníků a pracovnic, organizovat a mají stejná práva a výhody jako vítězství a líbí jiné pracovníky.

Tento postoj ICTU a irské svazy také jde proti postavení dalších národních i mezinárodních odbory politiky na sex práci.

Mezinárodní organizace práce, které ICTU je členem vydala zprávu v roce 1998 ve skutečnosti zvané "The Sex sektoru: The hospodářské a sociální základy z prostituce v jihovýchodní Asie"

V němž se uvádí:

"Za těch dospělých jedinců, kteří svobodně si vybrat pohlaví práce, politické obavy měla zaměřit na zlepšení jejich pracovních podmínek a sociální ochrany a zajištění toho, že mají právo na stejné pracovní práva a výhody jako ostatní zaměstnanci."

V různých zemích sex pracovník organizace organizované do nebo připojil odbory.

V roce 2002 červené vlákno prostitutky práva skupiny v Nizozemsku tvoří unie a stal se členem Unie konfederace FNV

Na Novém Zélandu sjednotit unie začali organizovat prostitutek v roce 2004, aby pro ně požadavek práva jako všichni ostatní pracovníci.

Dnes v Novém Zélandu sex pracovníci mají plné zaměstnanosti práva a jsou chráněny proti diskriminaci a pracovišti obtěžování.

V Irsku žádáme odbory a příznivci levice postavit se za práva sexuálních pracovníků a pracovnic, pro jejich ochranu důstojnosti a respektovat.

Stejná práva hnutí bojovali a získal pro ostatní pracovníky.