Press release: Condoms are used as evidence of sex work
With HIV diagnoses on the rise in Ireland as well as demands from clients empowered by a law that was supposed to help sex workers, workers now fear carrying condoms. Kate McGrew, current sex worker and director of the Sex Workers Alliance Ireland (SWAI) said “Today...
Press release: Garda raids, pimps, reports and conferences this week but no one is asking sex workers what they need
Kate McGrew, current sex worker and director of the Sex Workers Alliance Ireland (SWAI) said today “The same Gardaí department who arrest us for working together for safety is the one who we are expected to report to if a crime is committed against us. Is it any...
Comment on arrests of attackers 20th November 2019
Kate McGrew, current sex worker and director of the Sex Workers Alliance Ireland (SWAI) welcomes the news that arrests have been made following raids on suspected attackers. She said “We know that when sex workers and the Gardaí can work together we can make Ireland a...
Press release: Men ignored by sex work law because it does not suit the ‘helpless victim’ propaganda, says university expert
Men ignored by sex work law because it does not suit the ‘helpless victim’ propaganda, says university expert Availability of PrEP through HSE from this month a major step in addressing HIV, speaker from DCU explains Men were excluded in the formulation of current...
Press release: Sex workers lives at risk amid fear of reporting assaults due to bad and misguided legislation
Both sex workers and Gardaí have known about these criminals for some time but sex workers refuse to contact the Garda because trust in Gardaí is at an all-time low since the law changed in 2017. “The increased assaults and robberies on sex workers currently being...
Comment on Only Fans 12th November
The Sex Workers Alliance Ireland (SWAI) advocate for all sex workers in Ireland, including cam workers. All aspects of cam work are legal but there is still shame and stigma attached to this type of work, and increasingly support from SWAI is sought around issues in...
Press release: ‘Swedish Model’ promotes harassment and is failing to deter sex workers or clients, says co-author of new Northern Ireland study
A major surge in harassment of sex workers following the introduction of the so-called ‘Swedish Model’ in Northern Ireland was among the main findings in a review of the impact of the legislation, Dr Caoimhe Ní Dhónaill, co-author of a report commissioned for the...
Press Release: Today’s actions will decrease trust in Gardaí for already marginalised sex workers
Kate McGrew, current sex worker and spokesperson for the Sex Workers Alliance Ireland(SWAI) said “The criminalisation of client law was brought in with great fanfare over 2 years ago but, as yet, has only seen two men prosecuted for the purchase of sex in Ireland. It...
Press statement: Demand for sex work has not decreased in Northern Ireland
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...
Press release: Serial rapist is handed 20-year sentence for targeting Czech sex workers with help of Sex Workers Alliance Ireland
We all expect laws to keep us safe, but the laws around sex work make Ireland more dangerous. Kate McGrew, director of Sex Workers Alliance Ireland (SWAI) and current sex worker says, “SWAI are happy to hear the news that a serial rapist was handed a 20-year prison...
Press release: Sex workers could be allies in sex trafficking if we were allowed
Today is World Day against Trafficking in Persons and we call on the government and the Gardaí to stop conflating consensual sex work and trafficking so that resources could be used where they are needed most: prevention of trafficking. Kate Mc Grew, director of the...
Press release: Jailing a pregnant, migrant sex worker yesterday shows we have not moved away from our dark past
Kate McGrew, current sex worker and director of the Sex Workers Alliance Ireland (SWAI), said “The Sex Workers Alliance are horrified to learn of the jailing of two sex workers at Naas District Court yesterday, one of whom is pregnant, less than one week after...
Ask your candidate about sex work laws
In less than 2 weeks we take to the polls again to vote for politicians to represent us on a local and European level. Sex workers are rarely heard by politicians so WE NEED YOUR HELP! Please ask your candidates about what they will do to help sex workers. Many...
Press release: International Sex Workers Rights Day
Today, the 3rd of March is International Sex Workers Rights Day. The Sex Workers Alliance Ireland (SWAI) is the only sex workers rights groups in Ireland who places currently working sex workers at the heart of the campaign. We are also the only sex worker group in...
Press release: Sex work laws are discriminatory says SWAI
We are highlighting the laws surrounding sex work in Ireland as discriminatory laws today on the UNAIDS Zero Discrimination Day. This year UNAIDS are using Zero Discrimination day to draw attention to the many laws which create barriers to health and safety, as well...
Statement about Google and Ugly Mugs
SWAI is extremely concerned for the safety of sex workers in Ireland, as Ugly Mugs a widely used by sex workers has been rejected by Google to allows its app to screen calls and texts. This app screens calls and text for dangerous clients. Ugly Mugs applied for an...
press release: One prosecution for man caught up in raid shows law is not fit for purpose
ess releasem Kate McGrew, director of Sex Workers Alliance Ireland (SWAI) says “This man was caught procuring sex during a raid on a so-called brothel, when two or more workers work together. This case yet against highlights how the law is being used against workers...
Press release: Garda and laws fail the most vulnerable
While new report shows that Sex Workers working even in partially criminalised settings face three times the amount of violence, it remains completely illegal for two workers to work together for safety in Ireland. Today is International Day to Eliminate Violence...
Press Release: Normalised violence against some of societies most vulnerable due to policing of sex work
Since the laws have been introduced there have been 55 people arrested for prostitution offences, but only 2 of them are clients. Garda resources are already stretched without having to police consensual acts between a sex worker and their client. Sex Workers...
Speech at Reclaim the Night Belfast 2018
Last night we spoke at the Reclaim the Night Belfast march. Below is the text of our speech. Firstly, thank you for having SWAI here and asking us to speak. I honestly wish I wasn't standing here talking, but my colleague and friend Laura Lee instead. These are big...